,"*• 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 

Class  Book  Volume 


MrlO-20M 


^o^A 


^' 


■  a-^.-rJ".        1      ■^»»   -    'S-^.~-:^,J3|  ■«. 


CASTLE   HOHENWALD 


IX\^^_      VDV\     \-\oVvC^W(X\6 

A  ROMANCE 


OF 

ADOLPH    STRECKFUSS 

AUTHOB  OF  *'  TOO  BIOH,"  BTO. 


BY  MRS.  A.  L.  WISTER 

TBAN8LAT0R   OF  "THE    OLD   MAM'MLLE'S  SEOBET,"   "  THE  8S00MD   WIFE,' 
"TOO    BIOH,"    "  MAEGABETHE,"  "  ONLY  A  eiBL,"  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTTCOMPANY 
1906 


C  V  ^  w 


Copyright,  1879,  by  J.  B.  Lippincott  &  Co. 


Copyright,  1906,  by  A.  L.  Wistek. 


"•V*    Jft  t^ffp'tf/^  ■ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 


CHAPTER  I. 


The  music  ceased.  The  gentlemen  led  their  partners  to 
their  various  chaperones,  and  then  crowded  out  upon  the 
balcony  to  enjoy  the  cool  spring  breeze,  giving  no  attention 
to  the  remonstrances  of  their  host,  the  President,  who,  when 
he  found  how  little  heed  was  paid  to  his  warning  against 
imprudence,  turned  away,  declaring  to  his  friend  the  colonel 
that  there  really  was  nothing  to  be  done  with  the  heedless 
young  people  of  the  present  day.  "  They  trifle  with  their 
health  as  if  their  nerves  were  of  iron  and  illness  impossible," 
he  added,  a  little  out  of  humour,  perhaps,  at  the  neglect  of  his 
advice. 

li        "  Why  then,  old  friend,  do  you  give  a  ball  in  April  ?"  the 
-    colonel  asked,  laughing.  . 

"  Could  I  help  -being  bom  on  the  20th  of  April  ?  My  son 
and  daughter  insist  upon  my  keeping  up  the  old  custom  and 
celebrating  the  occasion  by  a  ball.  This  year  it  is  perfect 
folly,  but  then  no  one  could  foretell  this  early  warm  spring." 

'q         "  Come,  never  trouble  yourself  about  those  young  people ; 

a      my  officers  have  often  braved  more  sudden  changes  of  tem- 

'     perature  in  the  field  without  being  any  the  worse." 

"But  the  Assessor?      His   constitution  is  none  of  the 

t       strongest." 

"  And  suppose  he  does  take  cold ;  'twill  do  him  no  harm. 

1*  6 

141015 


6  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Come,  come,  let  the  young  people  alone.     We  were  once  not 
a  whit  more  prudent  ourselves." 

And  as  he  spoke  the  colonel  took  his  old  friend's  arm  and 
led  him  back  into  the  ball-room,  while  the  young  officers  upon 
the  balcony,  who  had  overheard  all  that  had  been  said,  laugh- 
ingly grouped  themselves  about  the  Assessor,  rallying  him  / 
upon  the  anxiety  with  regard  to  his  health  manifested  by  the 
President. 

"  The  President  is  right,"  said  a  black-bearded  cuirassier, 
inclining  his  tall  figure  towards  the  slightly-built  Assessor. 
"  You  ought  to  take  care  of  yourself,  my  dear  Assessor ;  the 
sensitive  nature  of  which  you  so  often  tell  us  can  never 
endure  what  our  coarser  constitutions  brave  with  impunity. 
Put  an  end  to  the  anxiety  of  your  fiiture  father-in-law  and 
leave  the  balcony,  I  beseech  you." 

"  Herr  von  Saldern,  I  beg " 

"  Do  not  make  the  fair  Ad^le  a  widow  before  she  is  a 
wife,"  chimed  in  another  officer. 

"  Herr  von  Arnim,  such  remarks  are  very  much  out  of 
place.  It  is  true  that  I  am  peacefully  disposed.  I  make  no 
boast  of  it,  for  the  gifts  of  nature " 

"  Are  variously  distributed,"  Herr  von  Arnim  interrupted 
the  Assessor  by  completing  his  sentence.  "  Do  we  not  fre- 
quently hear  from  your  own  lips  how  lavishly  mother  nature 
has  endowed  you,  denying  you  the  gift  of  a  robust  consti- 
tution alone  ?  Spare  your  precious  health, — ^preserve  your- 
self for  the  fair  Ad^le,  and  for  us,  your  tenderly  attached 
friends ;  follow  the  kind  President's  advice." 

The  Assessor  gazed  helplessly  at  the  laughing  faces  about 
him ;  he  was  the  only  civilian  among  these  reckless  young 
fellows,  and  he  knew  that  any  serious  remonstrance  would 
but  provoke  anew  Arnim's  love  of  chaff.  The  more  prudent 
part  was  to  laugh  too  and  yield  the  field.  This  he  did,  leaving 
the  balcony  and  re-entering  the  ball-room. 


T^  "  •rim'WBmm:^'^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  7 

To  his  astonisliinent  he  here  recognized  an  acquaintance 
vi'hom  he  had  not  met  for  a  long  time,  and  he  hastened  across 
the  room  to  greet  him,  doubly  pleased,  since,  if  Amim  should 
chance  to  rally  him  upon  his  flight,  he  could  now  declare 
that  he  had  left  the  balcony  to  welcorae  the  arrival  of  Count 
Styrum. 

The  Count,  a  man  of  about  the  8ge  of  thirty  years,  was 
standing  in  the  background  of  the  ball-room,  in  the  door- 
way of  one  of  the  antechambers,  thoughtfiilly  contemplating 
the  brilliant  scene.  The  ^lite  of  the  large  provincial  town 
was  assembled  in  the  President's  rooms  to-night,  men  high 
in  office,  with  their  wives  and  daughters,  the  officers  of  the 
garrison,  and  the  most  aristocratic  of  the  county  gentry. 

The  President  enjoyed  giving  splendid  entertainments,  and 
his  wealth  and  position  entirely  justified  him  in  gratifying 
his  taste  in  this  direction.  The  hospitalities  of  his  house 
were  quite  famous, — ^his  balls  had  been  mentioned  with  fa- 
vour by  royalty  itself, — had  not  the  Prince,  upon  a  visit  to 
the  town,  accepted  an  invitation  to  one  of  these  birthday 
fetes,  and  declared  afterwards  that  he  had  never  attended  a 
more  brilliant  entertainment  or  seen  a  more  charming  collec- 
tion of  lovely  women  ? 

Count  Styrum,  too,  thought  that  he  had  rarely  seen  so 
many  lovely  faces  assembled  in  one  room,  and  he  gazed  with 
delight  at  the  charming  groups  laughing  and  jesting  on  all 
sides,  wondering  while  he  gazed  whom  he  should  pronounce 
fairest  among  so  many  that  were  fair.  His  doubt  on  this 
head  vanished,  however,  as  his  eye  fell  upon  a  young  girl 
seated  upon  a  low  divan  near  him. 

He  was  quite  lost  for  a  moment  in  admiration  of  her 
beauty ;  the  features  might,  it  is  true,  have  been  more  regular, 
but  the  face  was  indescribably  lovely  and  attractive.  The 
slightly  pouting  lips  could  surely  smile  charmingly,  although 
now  there  were  pensive  lines  about  the  mouth  which  accorded 


:l 


8  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

well  with  the  melancholy  expression  of  the  large  and  eloquent 
Drown  eyes. 

The  Count  felt  an  immediate  and  lively  interest  in  this 
lovely  girl ;  he  had  never  seen  her  before,  and  yet  he  longed 
to  know  why  she,  the  fairest  among  this  gay  throng,  should 
look  so  sad  and  take  apparently  so  little  interest  in  what  was 
going  on  around  her. 

She  could  hardly  number  twe  ity  years ;  could  she  be 
preyed  upon  by  any  secret  grief?  What  was  she  thinking 
of  at  this  moment?  Scarcely  of  the  whispered  words  of 
the  man  on  the  low  seat  beside  her,  for  she  never  looked  at 
him,  and  even  turned  away  from  him  with  a  gesture  betoken- 
ing that  his  conversation  was  anything  but  agreeable  to  her. 

"  I  see  I  am  right !  It  is  really  yourself,  my  dear  Count. 
I  thought  you  were  in  Rome  or  Naples,  and  am  most  heartily 
delighted  to  welcome  you  here  !" 

It  was  thus  that  the  Assessor  addressed  the  Count,  who, 
in  contemplation  of  the  beautiful  girl  on  the  divan,  had  not 
noticed  his  approach.  Now,  however,  he  held  out  his  hand, 
saying,  not  unkindly,  and  with  a  smile,  "  You  here  in  the 
provinces,  my  dear  Hahn  ?  I  had  not  expected  to  meet  the 
lion  of  the  metropolis  here ;  how  does  it  happen  ?" 

The  Assessor,  greatly  flattered  by  the  question,  conceitedly 
twirled  his  light  moustache  and  tried  to  look  as  much  as 
possible  like  a  flaxen-haired  lion  of  the  metropolis  ;  not  very 
successfully,  however.  His  face  would  look  boyish  in  spite 
of  the  moustache,  and  his  head  barely  reached  to  his  distin- 
guished friend's  shoulder,  as  he  replied,  "  I  have  been  here 
two  years.  Just  after  your  departure,  when  I  had  passed  my 
third  examination,  I  was  appointed  to  the  post  of  assessor 
here.  It  is  true  that  we  forego  much  in  the  provinces,  where 
however  the  heart  finds  truer  contentment  than  amid  the 
whirl  of  tlie  capital,  and  therefore  I  am  abundantly  satisfied 
with  my  present  life,  which,  unfortunately,  I  must  shortly 


rfs>  ^?^?      -^'.i:.xri7,y^-'^  ;^j?'^-r:-»:'     -;;-y3^-^$»'V 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  9 

resign,  for  I  am  ordered  to  Altstadt.  It  is  difficult  to  tear 
one's  self  away  from  loved  surroundings  and  companionship. 
I  am  endowed  with  more  than  my  share  of  sensibility,  I 
know ;  not  that  I  would  make  a  boast  of  it,  for  it  is  mine 
from  the  hand  of  nature,  and  her  gifts  are  variously  be- 
stowed." 

A  smile  hovered  upon  the  Count's  lips  as  he  replied,  "  1 
am  glad  to  find  you  unchanged,  my  dear  Hahn.  Of  course 
you  are  entirely  a,t  home  in  this  society,  where  I  am  a  total 
stranger.  Not  a  soul  in  the  room  do  I  know  except  my 
uncle  Gruntram  and  my  cousins  Ad^le  and  Heinrich.  You 
will  tell  rae  who  all  these  delightftd  people  are." 

*'  With  pleasure.  I  know  all  your  uncle's  guests.  You 
know  the  poetry  of  my  nature.  I  make  no  boast ;  nature's 
gifts  are  various,  but  as  a  poet  nothing  interests  me  more 
than  the  study  of  human  feeling  and  aspiration.  You  have 
applied  to  the  right  quarter  for  information  with  regard  to 
the  character  and  circumstances  of  all  these  peojile." 

■"  I  am  sure  of  it.  I  have  always  admired  your  obliging 
amiability  no  less  than  your  profound  study  of  character." 

•'  You  do  me  honour.  I  am  obliging  by  natiire,  but  I  make 
no  boast  of  it.     Question  me ;  I  am  quite  at  your  service." 

"  To  put  you  instantly  to  the  test,  tell  me  who  is  the 
charming  girl  dressed  simply  but  elegantly  in  white,  there, 
on  the  divan  to  my  left,  with  brown  hair  and  the  wreath  of 
snow-drops  ;  the  beautiful  creature  who  evidently  cares  not 
one  whit  for  all  that  the  fellow  with  the  black  beard,  leaning 
over  her,  is  pouring  so  eagerly  into  her  ear." 

The  Assessor  listened  with  a  smile  to  this  enthusiastic 
description.     "  Evidently  hit,  my  dear  Count,"  he  said. 

"  Not  at  all ;  but  the  melancholy  on  that  charming  faco 
interests  me  excessively." 

"  Poor  Frau  von  Sorr  !     She  may  well  be  melancholy." 

"  Frau  ?     Impossible  I    You  do  not  know  whom  I  mean." 

A* 


■•■;::  ■,£  'T  .■fi'..w^  s.*^;!p|5j5-: 


10  castLe  hohenwald. 

"  Ah !  yes  I  do.  No  one  coiL  d  fail  to  know  from  your 
description,  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  you  take 
Frau  von  Sorr  for  a  young  girl :  it  is  the  same  with  every  one 
who  first  sees  her.  She  is  just  twenty-two  and  looks  much 
younger." 

"  And  the  man  talking  to  her  is,  I  suppose,  her  husband." 

"  Not  at  all.  That  is  Count  Repuin,  an  enormously 
wealthy  Russian,  a  bosom-friend  of  Herr  von  Sorr,  and  a 
gambler  and  spendthrift,  who  throws  away  his  money  by 
thousands.  They  say  Herr  von  Sorr  knows  how  to  pick  it 
up,  and  that  is  the  secret  of  the  friendship  between  them,  and 
also  why  Sorr  allows  Repuin  to  pay  such  court  to  his  wife." 

"  And  does  she  encourage  it  ?"  Count  Styrum  asked. 
"  How  deceived  one  may  be  by  a  face  !  I  thought  hers  so 
innocent  and  refined  in  expression." 

"  And  the  expression  does  not  belie  her,"  the  Assessor  re- 
joined. "  Herr  von  Sorr  is  a  despicable  fellow  enough,  and 
bears  the  worst  possible  reputation ;  but  scandal  itself  could 
not  touch  his  charming  wife.  It  is  only  on  her  account  that 
he  is  endured  in  society  in  spite  of  his  notorious  past  and  his 
more  than  doubtful  present.  Your  uncle  would  never  have 
invited  him  here  to-night  except  for  the  sake  of  his  wife,  who 
is  the  dearest  friend  of  Fraulein  Ad61e." 

"  But  the  Russian " 

"  Is  desperately  in  love  with  her.  He  throws  away  in- 
credible sums  upon  her  worthless  husband,  while  she  sternly 
reftises  to  accept  any  of  his  attentions.  My  observation  is 
naturally  very  keen.  I  make  no  boast  of  it,  but  it  is ;  and  I 
am  convinced  that  at  this  moment  that  poor  woman  is  suf- 
fering agonies  because,  without  exciting  observation,  and  for 
the  sake  of  her  good-for-nothing  husband,  she  cannot  repulse 
that  fellow  indignantly." 

The  Assessor's  words  increased  the  interest  with  which  the 
beautiful  Frau  von  Sorr  had  inspired  the  Count,  and  it  waa 


F*^  ^^K?^~- 


CASTLE  UOHENWALD.  11 

fitill  forther  heightened  by  a  little  scene  that  passed  unob- 
served by  any  eyes  in  the  ball-room  except  his  oim  and  the 
Assessor's. 

Frau  von  Sorr,  who  had  hitherto  endured,  rather  than 
heard,  in  perfect  silence  what  her  neighbour  was  saying  to 
her,  never  even  varying  by  a  look  the  cold  indiflFerence  of  her 
bearing,  suddenly  turned  upon  him  eyes  flashing  with  indigna- 
tion. The  delicate  colour  in  her  cheek  deepened  to  crimson, 
the  beautiful  lips  unclosed  as  if  to  speak,  when  suddenly 
second  thoughts  seemed  to  assert  their  sway,  and  rising,  with 
a  look  of  inexpressible  contempt  at  Kepuin,  she  turned  from 
him  and  walked  slowly  across  the  ball-room  to  join  a  group 
of  young  girls  gathered  about  the  daughter  of  the  house, 
Ad^le  von  Guntram. 

"What  does  that  mean,  do  you  think?"  Count  Styrum 
asked  the  Assessor. 

"  It  means  that  the  fellow  went  too  far,  and  she  turned  her 
back  upon  him." 

"  Poor  young  creature !  she  interests  me,  and  I  must  hear 
more  of  her ;  pray  tell  me,  my  dear  Hahn,  what  you  know 
of  her  husband." 

"  Certainly.  What  I  know  everybody  knows,  and  there  can 
be  no  indiscretion  in  relating  it ;  for  the  world  I  would  not 
be  indiscreet.  In  fact,  I  am  discretion  itself.  I  make  no 
boast  of  it,  but  I  am.  Of  course  I  may  tell  you  what  all  the 
world  knows.  Well,  then,  Herr  von  Sorr  is  utterly  worthless. 
In  the  last  few  years  he  has  squandered  his  own  considerable 
property  and  his  wife's  fortune  upon  all  sorts  of  follies,  and 
worse,  in  the  capital.  What  he  now  lives  upon  no  one  knowb. 
All  sorts  of  strange  stories  are  told  about  that.  They  may  not 
all  be  true,  of  course,  but  there  must  be  some  foundation  for 
them,  since  Lieutenant  von  Amim  lately  declared  that  he 
would  not  play  when  Herr  von  Sorr  kept  the  bank,  and  that 
he  did  not  like  to  have  him  for  next  neighbour  when  he 


■'  '"r^^r^^::^^  P 


12  CASTLE  hohenwald: 

kept  it  himself,  for  it  was  so  disagreeable  to  have  to  keep  a 
sharp  eye  upon  the  pile  of  money  before  him." 
"  Rather  strong,  I  should  say." 

"  It  was  indeed ;  but  no  one  expressed  any  surprise  at 
Amim's  declaration ;  indeed,  I  heard  it  whispered  that  one 
night  when  he  sat  next  Sorr  at  play  a  hundred-thaler  note 
had  unaccountably  disappeared  ;  as  I  said,  the  man's  charao- 
ter,  or  want  of  it,  is  such  that  were  it  not  for  his  lovely  wife 
every  respectable  house  in  the  town  would  be  closed  against 
him." 

"  But  how  did  the  fellow  come  to  have  so  lovely  a  wife  ?" 
*  Six  years  ago,  when  he  married  Fraulein  Lucie  Ahl- 
bom,  his  reputation  was  good  ;  he  was  held  to  be  a  wealthy 
man  of  rank,  and  such  he  was,  although  even  then  he  had 
squandered  a  large  part  of  his  property.  Herr  Ahlborn,  his 
wife's  father,  was  a  rich  manufacturer ;  he  never  thought  of 
saying  '  no'  when  Sorr  applied  for  his  daughter's  hand, — he 
was  probably  flattered  by  the  proposal, — and  if  he  thought 
the  young  man  rather  wild,  supposed  that  marriage  would 
::ure  all  that.  Fraulein  Ahlborn  brought  her  husband  a  fine 
estate,  which  she  had  inherited  from  her  mother," 
"  Was  she  forced  into  the  marriage  by  her  father?" 
*'  Not  at  all.  I  do  not  know  that  she  was  very  devoted  to 
her  bridegroom,  but  possibly  she  was,  for  he  was  a  handsome 
enough  young  fellow, — his  wild  life  has  told  upon  him  now, — 
but  then  he  might  easily  have  captivated  the  fancy  of  a  girl 
of  sixteen.  This  I  grant,  although  I  was  a  student  then,  vis- 
iting very  frequently  at  Herr  Ahlborn's,  and  a  little  in  love 
wilh  the  fair  Lucie  myself,  which  did  not  prepossess  me  in 
favour  of  my  fortunate  rival.  Neither  I  nor  any  oxjd  else 
dreamed  that  Sorr  would  ever  sink  so  low  as  he  has  done. 
Everybody  thought  the  match  an  excellent  one,  and  re 
gretted  that  the  charming  couple  withdrew  to  the  retiremen' 
of  Frau  von  Sorr's  estate  to  enjoy  their  conjugal  felicit] 


^W  ■'^^^7S^W^mWf'^--f^''' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  13 

Their  seclusion,  however,  did  not  last  longer  than  a  few 
months.  They  then  returned  to  town,  where  Sorr  played 
like  a  madman,  kept  a  costly  racing  stud,  and  spent  huge 
sums  upon  a  notorious  ballet-girl,  scandalously  neglecting  his 
poor  wife,  who,  however,  bore  her  sad  fate  with  divine 
patience.  Fortune  dealt  her  its  heaviest  blows,  for  she  lost 
her  father,  with  whom  she  might  have  sought  a  retdge  firom 
her  husband.  Herr  Ahlbom  was  ruined  by  the  bankruptcy 
of  a  large  business  firm,  and  failed.  There  might  have  been 
some  composition  with  his  creditors^  but  being  a  man  of  an 
even  exaggerated  sense  of  honour,  he  gave  up  everything. 
Not  one  of  his  creditors  lost  a  penny,  but  he  forfeited  his 
entire  fortune.  His  business  Mends  offered  him  money  and 
credit  wherewith  to  re-open  his  manufactory,  but  he  could 
not  endure  the  thought  of  beginning  life  again  in  a  place 
where  he  had  occupied  so  high  a  position.  He  bec^e 
gloomy  and  misanthropic,  even  revising  to  accept  assist^ce 
.^om  his  daughter,  who  would  gladly  have  given  it  to  him. 
Taking  with  him  but  a  small  sum  of  money,  the  remnant  of 
his  large  fortune,  he  left  the  scene  of  his  former  activity, 
ostensibly  to  sail  for  America.  They  say  he  never  took 
leave  of  one  of  his  old  friends,  but  went,  without  even  bid* 
ding  good-bye  to  his  daughter.  This  was  more  than  four 
years  ago,  and  nothing  has  since  been  heard  of  him ;  he  has 
never  written  to  his  daughter,  and  she  does  not  even  know 
the  name  of  the  vessel  in  which  he  sailed  from  Germany. 
Shortly  before  his  departure  he  declared  that  he  would  either 
return  as  a  wealthy  man  or  not  at  all.  If  he  really  went  to 
America,  which  b  doubtful,  he  may  not  have  been  sucoess- 
ful;  perhaps  he  is  dead, — no  one  knows  anything  about 
him.  His  daughter  mourned  him  deeply;  but  she  soon 
needed  to  mourn  still  more  deeply  for  herself  for  her  mis- 
erable husband,  after  spending  all  his  own  fortune,  did  the 
same  by  hers,  mortgaging  her  estate  until  it  had  to  be  sold 

2 


U  CASTLB  HOHENWALD. 

Since  that  took  place,  how  he  lives  is  a  mystery.  I  have 
told  you  some  of  the  current  explanations  of  it,  and  I  am 
sure  you  must  now  find  it  very  natural  that  there  should  be 
an  expression  of  melancholy  upon  Frau  von  Sorr's  lovely 
face." 

The  doors  of  the  adjoining  supper-room  were  here  opened, 
and  the  Assessor  broke  oflF  his  long  narrative,  saying,  "  Ex- 
cuse me,  my  dear  Count,  for  leaving  you,  but  duty  calls. 
Your  charming  cousin,  Friiulein  Ad^le,  has  promised  to  allow 
me  to  take  her  to  supper." 

And  bowing,  he  hurried  towards  the  group  of  ladies,  of 
which  Ad^le  was  the  centre.  H-^  need  not  have  been  in  any 
haste,  however,  for  she  herself,  accompanied  by  Frau  von  Sorr, 
advanced  to  meet  him,  saying,  with  an  enchanting  smile  that 
transported  the  little  man  to  the  seventh  heaven,  "  I  have  a 
request  to  make  of  you,  Herr  von  Hahn,  and  I  am  sure  you 
will  grant  it." 

"  Ask  what  you  will,  Fraulein  Ad61e.  You  cannot  ask 
what  I  shall  not  be  proud  to  grant." 

"  I  will  not  put  your  amiability  to  any  severe  test,"  she 
rejoined ;  "  the  fulfilment  of  my  request  brings  with  it  its  own 
reward.  Pray  take  my  dear  Lucie,  instead  of  myself,  in  to 
supper." 

The  Assessor  was  not  altogether  charmed,  since  he  had  en- 
gaged his  fair  partner  for  supper  a  week  previously ;  but  he 
was  too  courteous  to  allow  a  shade  of  disappointment  to  appear 
in  his  countenance,  and  his  momentary  annoyance  vanished 
when  Addle  continued,  "  We  must  be  neighbours  at  supper, 
however ;  keep  two  places  for  me  at  your  table,  and  I  will 
follow  you  with  my  cousin,  Count  Styrum,  who,  not  knowing 
the  customs  of  our  house,  has,  I  fear,  engaged  no  one  to  go 
with  him  to  supper." 

The  Assessor  was  made  supremely  happy  by  her  words  and 
manner.     Never  had  this  charming  creature,  to  whom  for  the 


PS-^ssS*; 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  15 

time  he  was  devoted  heart  and  soul,  treated  him  with  such  a 
degree  of  amiable  confidence.  He  knew  better  than  any  one 
else  how  far  he  was  from  the  attainment  of  his  hopes,  and 
therefore  the  badinage  of  his  military  friends  had  for  him  a 
peculiar  sting ;  but  now  on  a  sudden  his  fair  one's  manner 
was  such  as  seemed  to  him  to  justify  his  aspirations. 

It  was  the  custom  at  the  President's  to  have  the  supper- 
room  arranged  with  many  small  tables,  accommodating  each 
from  four  to  eight  persons,  at  which  the  guests  seated  them- 
selves in  groups  selected  among  themselves  beforehand.  This 
obviated  the  necessity  for  caution  lest  the  rules  of  precedence 
should  be  infringed, — a  very  important  consideration  in  a 
provincial  town, — and  greatly  promoted  the  ease  and  comfort 
of  the  guests. 

With  his  head  proudly  erect,  the  Assessor  conducted  Frau 
von  Sorr  into  the  adjoining  room,  into  which  other  couples 
were  thronging.  He  soon  found  an  unoccupied  table,  and 
was  looking  round  for  Count  Styrum  and  Ad^le,  when  Count 
Repuin  approached,  and,  without  according  him  any  salute  or 
attention,  addressed  Frau  von  Sorr.  "  Surely,  madame,  you 
cannot  have  forgotten  that  you  promised  me  the  honour  of 
your  society  at  supper  ?" 

The  Count  uttered  these  words  in  a  tone  almost  of  menace, 
scarcely  consistent  with  the  rules  of  polite  society.  He  was, 
as  was  evident  from  his  flashing  eyes  and  his  dark  frown, 
controlling  himself  with  difficulty,  and  the  Assessor  was  very 
much  embarrassed.  He  was  perfectly  conscious  of  the  obliga- 
tion laid  upon  him  to  assert  his  right  to  escort  to  supper  Frau 
von  Sorr,  whose  hand  still  rested  upon  his  arm,  but  such  asser« 
tion  was  by  no  means  easy, — ^the  Russian's  gleaming  black 
eyes  were  so  wrathful,  and  just  at  the  moment  the  Assessor 
could  not  but  remember  the  man's  reputation  as  an  unerring 
pistol-shot,  and  his  great  readiness  to  send  a  challenge. 

Poor  Herr  von  Hahn !    He  had  a  most  uncomfortable  sen- 


^a-i'»»f-r  syjBigf: 


16  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

sation  about  the  throat,  somewhat  as  if  his  cravat  had  been 
suddenly  tightened.  He  cleared  it,  but  could  scarcely  utter 
a  word  ;  nevertheless  something  must  be  ventured,  else  what 
would  Fraulein  Ad^le,  what  woidd  all  his  acquaintances  say  ? 
"  Count  Repuin,  excuse  me,  but  I  have  the  honour  of  being 
this  lady's  escort " 

Count  Repuin  looked  down  upon  him  with  undisguised 
contempt  as  he  rather  stammered  than  uttered  these  words, 
and  then  haughtily  replied,  with  a  coldness  that  was  almost 
insulting,  "  I  did  not  address  you,  sir.  It  was  not  of  youi 
mistake  that  I  spoke,  but  of  Frau  von  Sorr's.  Of  course 
you  will  yield  me  the  right  I  desire  as  soon  as  madam  e 
accords  it  to  me." 

"  Which  I  shall  not  do,"  Frau  von  Sorr  interposed. 

She  had  relinquished  the  support  of  the  Assessor's  arm, 
and  stood  tall  and  stately  before  the  Count,  meeting  his  eye 
with  calm  resolve,  evidently  ready  to  brave  his  anger. 

Repuin's  face  flushed  crimson, — he  bit  his  lip,  and  said, 
with  forced  calmness,  "  Have  you  forgotten,  madame,  that 
by  your  husband's  permission  I  this  morning  requested  to  be 
allowed  to  conduct  you  to  supper  to-night,  and  that  you  con- 
sented to  my  request  ?" 

"I  have  forgotten  nothing.  Count  Repuin,  not  even  the 
words  you  addressed  to  me  a  few  moments  ago ;  let  me  beg 
you  to  leave  me." 

"  I  refuse  to  yield  my  right,"  the  Count  angrily  retorted. 
"  If  you  deny  me  thus,  I  must  appeal  to  Herr  von  Sorr  to 
support  my  claim."  . 

"  I  think  not,  Count  Repuin.  My  friend  Frau  von  Sorr 
is,  I  trust,  secure  from  all  insult  beneath  my  father's  roof." 

The  words  were  Ad^le  von  Guntram's.  She  had  arrived, 
leaning  upon  Count  Styrum's  arm,  just  in  time  to  hear 
Repuin's  angry  threat,  and  now,  stepping  to  her  friend'p 
side,  she  turned  to  Count  Repuin  with  a  degree  of  dignity 


'■^-Tf^'^H^- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  17 

and  resolution  that  added  mncli  to  the  A^seasor's  already 
great  astonishment  at  such  a  manifestation  on  the  part  of  so 
gentle  and  amiable  a  girl,  and  said,  "  You  have  permitted 
yourself  to  be  carried  away  by  your  annoyance,  Count,  to 
the  extent  of  addressing  a  lady  in  terms  inconsistent  with 
our  German  ideas  of  courtesy.  I  must  beg  you  to  apologise 
to  my  friend." 

CoUnt  Repuin  angrily  compressed  his  lips,  but  he  perfectly  ' 

understood  that  he  had  gone  too  &r,  and  that  upon  this  an-  M 

tagonist  he  had  not  reckoned.  If  he  would  not  entirely  lose 
the  game  he  was  playing  he  must  control  himself,  and,  diffi- 
cult although  it  might  be,  comply  with  Ad&le's  demand.  He 
therefore  smothered  his  rage,  and,  taking  Ad^le's  hand  and 
kissing  it  with  respectful  humility,  he  said,  "  You  shame  me, 
Friiulein  von  Guntram,  yet  I  cannot  but  be  grateftd  to  you  -  ' 
for  recalling  me  to  a  sense  of  the  duty  which,  according  not 
only  to  German  ideas,  but  also  to  those  entertained  in  Rus- 
sia and  throughout  the  world,  every  gentleman  owes  to  a  lady 
whom  he  has  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  offend.  I  beg  Frau 
von  Sorr's  pardon  from  my  soul,  and  venture  to  hope  for 
her  forgiveness,  the  more  confidently  as  my  irritation  was  the 
consequence  of  my  great  disappointment  at  losing  a  pleasure 
which  she  will  admit  I  had  some  right  to  anticipate." 

Frau  von  Sorr  heeded  his  apology  no  more  than  his  threat, 
but  turned  to  Adele,  who  replied  to  his  words  and  farewell 
bow  by  a  cool  and  dignified  curtsey. 

As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  hearing  the  young  girl  gave  a 
sigh  of  relief  "  Thank  Heaven,  he  is  gone  !  He  actually 
terrifies  me,  and  I  had  to  muster  up  all  my  courage  to  be- 
come my  poor  Lucie's  defender.  The  man  is  indescribably  ^l 
odious, — Russian  from  head  to  foot, — rough,  coarse,  and 
brutally  passionate  one  moment,  courteous,  smooth,  and  smil- 
ing the  next,  but  always  false  and  untrustworthy.  How- 
ever, he  has  gone,  and  we  will  not  spoil  our  pleasure  by  think-  "" 
L                                  2* 


.-■■■'^^.■T  T^^^'-^'b" 


18  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

ing  of  him  an  instant  longer.  Cousin  Karl,  let  me  present 
you  to  my  dearest  friend,  Frau  von  Sorr.  My  cousin,  Count 
Karl  Styrum,  Lucie  dear  j  and  now  let  us  enjoy  our  supper 
together." 


CHAPTER    11. 


Count  Karl  Sttrtjm  had  never  been  very  fond  of  large 
entertainment,  and  had  accepted  his  uncle  the  President's 
invitation  on  this  evening  only  because  he  did  not  wish  to  be 
rude  to  a  relative  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  years.  The  ball 
had  hitherto  been  rather  a  bore ;  he  did  not  dance,  and,  stranger 
as  he  was  in  this  society,  he  took  little  interest  in  watching 
others  dance.  The  only  figure  that  his  eyes  followed  with 
any  pleasure  in  the  waltz  was  his  cousin  Adfele's,  and  he  had 
intended  to  slip  from  the  room  unobserved,  when  her  gracious 
and  cousinly  invitation  to  him  to  conduct  her  to  supper  frus- 
trated his  unsocial  plan. 

He  could  not  refuse  so  amiable  a  proposal,  but  he  prom- 
ised himself  but  little  entertainment  in  her  society,  since, 
although  cousins,  they  were  now  almost  entire  strangers  to 
each  other.  He  had  last  visited  his  uncle,  his  mother's 
brother,  ten  years  before,  when  Ad^le  was  a  pretty  little  girl 
with  fair  curls,  whom  he  had  made  a  pet  of  and  called  his 
little  sweetheart.  In  the  busy  years  that  ensued  he  had 
almost  forgotten  her ;  indeed,  he  had  hardly  remembered  her 
name.  Now  he  haTi  come  to  M to  arrange  a  personal  ad- 
justment with  his  uncle  of  a  lawsuit  between  them  concern- 
ing an  inherited  estate.  It  had  been  the  cause  of  a  not  quite 
friendly  correspondence,  and  the  Count  had  not  looked  for- 
ward to  a  renewal  of  intercourse  with  his  relati  res  without 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  19 

some  misgivings.  He  was  all  the  more  pleased,  (iherefore,  by 
the  cordiality  with  which  his  uncle  received  him,  and  begged 
him  to  forget  the  odious  lawsuit  entirely,  except  when  it 
absolutely  demanded  attention  as  a  matter  of  business. 

"I  think,  my  dear  Karl,"  the  President  said,  when  the 
Count  first  presented  himself  at  his  house  a  few  days  before 
the  birthday  ball,  "  we  can  manage  to  leave  all  quarrelling 
over  mine  and  thine  to  our  lawyers ;  let  us  do  all  we  can 
to  aid  in  the  settlement  of  the  question,  but  if  this  settle- 
ment be  delayed,  do  not,  for  Heaven's  sake,  let  it  disturb  the 
&endliness  of  our  relations  with  each  other  any  more  than 
should  our  difference  in  politics,  which  latter,  most  unfor- 
tunately, embittered  your  fiM;her  towards  me  during  the  last 
years  of  his  life  ;  to  the  day  of  his  death  he  could  not  forgive 
me  because  we  Prussians  were  victorious  in  1866.  I  trust 
that  you,  Saxon  soldier  though  you  be,  are  more  plaeable, 
and  will  reflect,  as  I  do,  that  your  dear  mother  was  my  favou- 
rite sister,  and  that  we  loved  each  other  faithfully  as  long  as 
she  lived.  It  was  not  our  fault,  as  we  both  thought,  that  our 
grand-uncle  involved  us  in  a  lawsuit  by  an  ambiguous  will," 

Count  Styrum  could  not  possibly  fail  to  reciprocate  so 
kind  an  expression  of  good  will  on  his  uncle's  part.  He  did 
not,  it  is  true,  accept  the  pressing  invitation  extended  to 
him  to  leave  the  hotel  and  make  the  President's  house  his 

home  while  in  M ,  but  he  promised  to  spend  every  spare 

hour  beneath  his  roof.  He  did  this  the  more  readily  since 
his  cousins  welcomed  him  as  cordially  as  their  father  had 
done.  On  Ad^le's  part  this  amiability  was  certainly  sincere, 
while  Heinrich,  who  was  an  assessor  in  his  father's  office, 
probably  acted  in  mere  compliance  with  his  father's  wish  in 
the  matter.  Ad^le  was  thoroughly  pleased  with  her  cousin, 
— she  knew  nothing  of  the  lawsuit,  and  cared  nothing  for 
politics, — Kari  was  to  her  simply  the  son  of  an  aunt  whom 
nhe  had  dearly  loved,  and  with  whom  she  could  remember 


-  l-r-'-jr.  ;-<ry^;^j|ga|^5WS^®'^fW',fW! 


20  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

passing  happy  weeks,  in  Dresden,  in  her  childhood,  when 
"  Cousin  Karl"  had  always  been  so  kind  to  her.  During  all 
the  long  years  of  absence  she  had  never  forgotten  him,  and  she 
treated  him  now  with  a  degree  of  sisteriy  familiarity  which 
greatly  pleased  him.  He  would  gladly  have  availed  himself 
of  his  uncle's  kindness  to  pay  frequent  visits  to  his  relatives, 

but  his  stay  in  M was  very  short,  and  most  of  his  time  was 

cccupied  in  interviews  with  his  lawyers,  who  would  not  listen 
to  a  friendly  adjustment  of  the  matter  in  hand,  so  that  until 
this  evening  he  had  scarcely  done  more  than  exchange  a  few 
tursory  remarks  with  Ad61e.  He  had  been  favourably  im- 
pressed by  her  frank  and  easy  gayety  of  manner,  but  she  had 
not  aroused  in  him  any  deeper  interest,  and  he  had  accepted 
with  some  reluctance  her  invitation  to  be  her  escort  to  supper, 
since  this  would  of  necessity  detain  him  longer  than  he  had 
proposed  to  stay  at  the  ball.  Suddenly,  however,  his  feeling 
with  regard  to  her  changed  entirely,  upon  witnessing  her 
spirited  opposition  to  Count  Repuin.  How  beautiful  she 
was  as  she  confronted  the  Count  with  indignation  flashing 
from  her  eyes  !  and  how  lovely  was  the  change  in  her  expres- 
sion when  she  turned  to  her  friend  with  such  tender  affection ! 
Involuntarily  he  compared  the  two  young  creatures  before 
him 

A  few  minutes  previously  he  would  have  pronounced  Frau 
ron  Sorr  the  more  beautiful  of  the  two, — the  most  beautiful 
woman,  indeed,  whom  he  had  ever  seen ;  but  now  there  was 
no  doubt  that  the  golden-haired  AdMe,  with  her  earnest  eyes 
sparkling  with  anger  and  then  melting  with  tenderness,  was, 
if  not  the  more  beautiful,  by  far  the  more  attractive.  It 
was  strange  that  never  until  this  instant  had  he  been  im- 
pressed by  this  exquisite  development  of  the  pretty  child  into 
the  lovely  woman. 

And  now,  when,  afler  Count  Repuin's  departure,  she  gayly 
entreated  her  friends  to  forget  the  unpleasant  scene  they  had 


JB»^^T^'W3'  » ,  ^™r^  -'^jmr  «^iy.-' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  21 

witnessed,  and  when,  seated  at  the  supper-table,  she  did  all 
that  she  could  to  dissipate  Frau  von  Sort's  melancholy  and 
win  a  smile  from  her,  she  seemed  to  her  cousin  more  enchant- 
ing than  ever.  She  so  managed  the  conversation  that  neither 
Frau  von  Sorr,  who  could  not  soon  forget  what  had  just  oc- 
curred, nor  the  Assessor,  who  was  rather  ashamed  of  the  part 
he  had  played,  was  obliged  to  talk  much,  while  Count  Sty- 
rum  was  drawn  on  to  speak  of  his  travels,  and  this  all  the 
more  willingly  as  he  felt  he  was  seconding  Ad^le's  efforts  in 
so  doing. 

The  Count  had  resigned  from  the  army  at  the  close  of  the 
war,  and,  that  he  might  be  prepared  for  the  management  of 
the  large  estates  to  which  he  was  heir,  had  spent  a  year  in 
attending  the  lectures  at  Tharandt.  Then,  in  company  with 
a  fbrmer  comrade  in  the  army,  who  had  been  his  fellow- 
student  also,  Baroa  Amo  von  Hohenwald,  he  had  travelled 
for  a  year  in  Belgium,  Holland,  England,  and  Italy,  being 
finally  called  home  by  the  death  of  his  father. 

The  Count  was  an  admirable  narrator  as  well  as  observer : 
no  one  could  throw  more  interest  than  he  into  the  details  of 
his  travels,  and  on  this  occasion  he  surpassed  himself.  Not 
only  did  Ad61e  listen  with  sparkling  eyes,  now  and  then 
asking  an  eager  question,  but  Frau  von  Sorr  was  gradually 
aroused  to  attention  and  interest.  The  Assessor  alone  was 
very  silent  and  not  at  all  comfortable.  In  addition  to  the 
mortifying  consciousness  that  he  had  failed  entirely  to  under- 
take the  defence  of  Frau  von  Sorr  against  Count  Repuin,  he 
could  not  help  experiencing  a  decided  envy  of  Count  Styrum, 
who  was  thus  monopolizing  the  conversation,  and  evidently 
making  a  favourable  impression  upon  Ad^le. 

Although  he  enjoyed  the  proud  consciousness  that  among 
the  gifts  with  which  kind  nature  had  endowed  him,  and  of 
which  he  would  not  boast,  a  talent  for  conversation  which  had 
frequently  stood  him  in  stead  was  most  conspicuous,  here  he 


•  \ 


; 


^ 


"T^i"'"^  v^ar-w  y^      ■mr-CTMw. 


22  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

was  undeniably  tlirown  into  tte  background,  and  tbis,  too ,  in 
the  presence  of  his  adored  Ad^le.  He  several  times  attempted 
to  divert  the  talk  from  these  overrated  adventures  of  travel, 
but  without  success,  until  at  last,  upon  the  frequent  mention 
by  the  Count  of  the  name  of  his  companion,  Amo  von 
Hohenwald,  he  broke  into  the  conversation  with,  "Do  I 
understand  you,  Count  ?  Are  you  really  speaking  of  Baron 
Amo  von  Hohenwald  ?  I  can  scarcely  credit  that  you  trav- 
elled for  a  year  with  that  gloomy  misanthrope,  that  inveterate 
woman-hater.  And  yet  it  must  be  so,  for  to  my  knowledge 
there  is  but  one  family  of  Hohenwalds  in  Saxony,  and  I 
ought  to  know,  for  I  am  distantly  connected  with  them  my- 
self. I  never  judge  others  with  severity, — it  is  not  my  nature, 
— ^but  I  cannot  help  pronouncing  the  Hohenwalds,  that  is,  the 
old  Baron  and  his  son  Amo,  haughty,  disagreeable,  inaccessi- 
ble people,  who  have  very  little  intercourse  with  any  one,  not 
even  their  nearest  relatives.  The  best  of  them  all  is  Arno's 
brother  Werner,  the  Finanzrath  ;*  it  is  possible  to  get  along 
with  him ;  but  my  cousin  Amo  ? Really,  I  cannot  under- 
stand how  you  managed  to  travel  with  him  for  a  whole  year." 

"  Your  judgment  of  my  friend  is  very  harsh  and  unjust,!' 
Count  Styrum  replied,  gravely.  "  And  yet  I  cannot  blame 
you  for  it,  for  there  are  few  who  know  how  to  value  Amo  von 
Hohenwald,  or  who,  indeed,  have  any  knowledge  at  all  of 
him." 

"  Of  course ;  he  is  absolutely  inaccessible,  Can  you  deny 
that  he  is  a  perfect  misanthrope,  refusing  to  mingle  in  any 
society,  and  repulsing  discourteously  every  advance  made  to 
him?" 

"  Amo  is  no  misanthrope,  but  the  warmest-hearted  fellow 
and  the  truest  and  most  loyal  of  friends.     I  grant  that  it  ia 

*  Councillor  of  finance.     It  is  best  to  give  these  titles  in  German ; 

they  must  always  be  awkward  in  English. 

A.  L.  W 


T^7%^^^'*y''^r^^T^^ 


rs^^fT?'-..' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 


23 


not  easy  to  win  his  confidence,  and  that  to  the  superficial  ob- 
server he  may  seem  to  shun  intercourse  with  others ;  he  has 
no  small  change  of  conversation  for  that  society  where  you, 
my  dear  Assessor,  are  in  your  element.  In  the  army  he  had 
but  few  intimates,  xnd  took  no  part  in  o^  card-parties  and 
the  like  entertainments.  Nevertheless  he  was  a  good  com- 
rade whom  every  one  liked,  for  all  knew  that  when  there 
was  need  of  a  Mend's  assistance  it  was  sure  to  be  found  at 
the  hands  of  Amo  von  Hohenwald,  and  we  forgave  his  bury- 
ing himself  among  his  books  while  we  pursued  our  pleasures. 
I  alone  of  all  his  comrades  could  boast  of  any  real  intimacy 
with  him,  and  I  am  proud  to  think  that  he  considered  me 
worthy  of  his  firiendship — his  confidence." 

"  Oh,  then  he  has  certainly  told  you  the  story  of  his  noto- 
rious love-aflFair  with  the  rope-maker's  pretty  daughter,  which 
ended  in  his  being  the  furious  woman-hater  that  he  is !  Yon 
must  ask  the  Count  to  tell  you  that  story,  madame.  I  assure 
you  it  made  quite  a  noise  at  the  time  at  the  Court  of  Saxony, 
where  the  Hohenwalds  stood  very  high." 

"  I  am  not  curious,"  Frau  von  Sorr  observed. 

"  But  I  am  1"  Adele  interposed.  "  I  confess,  Karl,  that  I 
take  great  interest  in  your  friend.  I  have  heard  much  of  him. 
Madame  von  Kleist  is  a  cousin  of  the  late  Frau  von  Hohen- 
wald, and  the  other  day,  at  an  afternoon  party,  she  had  such 
wonderful  things  to  tell  of  the  eccentricities  of  the  old  Baron 
and  his  son  Amo,  that  the  entire  conversation  finally  turned 
upon  the  Hohenwalds,  their  lives  and  their  peculiarities. 
Several  of  the  ladies  present  were  distantly  connected  with 
them,  and  they  not  only  confirmed  all  that  Madame  von  Kleist 
said,  but  contributed  various  anecdotes  to  show  that  the  old 
Baron  was  no  better  than  an  ogre,  and  that  the  son  Arno  was 
following  worthily  in  his  father's  footsteps.  The  old  Baron, 
they  said,  lives  in  perfect  solitude  in  Castle  Hohenwald, 
never  seeing  a  visitor,  nor  indeed  any  one  beside  his  two 


24  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

sons  and  his  dauo  liter,  except,  perhaps,  the  villa^'e  priest,  who 
is  the  young  girl's  tutor.  All  sorts  of  tales  are  told  of  the 
way  in  wliich  the  old  man  has  repelled  his  relatives'  advances, 
as  well  aa  of  his  quarrel  with  his  son  Amo,  whom  he  threat- 
ened to  disinherit  because  he  had  betrothed  himself  to  a 
pretty  girl  of  the  bourgeoisie.  When  the  engagement  was 
broken  oflP  Arno  was  reconciled  to  his  father,  having  become 
i  more  terrible  misanthrope  and  woman-hater  than  the  old 
man  himself  So  you  may  readily  imagine,  Cousin  Kail, 
how  I  should  like,  after  all  these  stories,  to  hear  as  much 
of  your  friend  as  you  can  tell  us  without  indiscretion." 

Count  Styrum  looked  annoyed.  The  gossiping  Assessor 
had  given  a  turn  to  the  conversation  that  necessitated  explana- 
tions which  he  would  gladly  have  avoided.  Since  this  turn 
had  been  given,  however,  he  felt  it  due  to  his  friend  to  dis- 
prove the  false  reports  current  with  regard  to  the  Hohen- 
walds.  "  There  can  be  no  indiscretion,"  he  said,  "  in  relating 
facts  known  to  many,  although  I  certainly  would  rather  avoid 
doing  so  since  I  know  my  friend  Amo's  dislike  of  any  dis- 
cussion of  his  private  affairs.  However,  the  truth  had  better 
be  told  about  them,  that  it  may  counteract  these  silly  rumours 
with  regard  to  the  family,  rumours  which  some  of  their  con- 
nections, indeed,  are  not  ashamed  to  circulate." 

The  Assessor  turned  red,  feeling  that  the  Count's  words 
might  well  apply  to  himself,  but  he  judged  it  wisest  to  take 
no  notice  of  the  reproof  conveyed  in  them. 

"  The  Hohenwalds,"  Karl  began,  "  have  frtmished  food 
for  gossip  to  the  Saxon  aristocracy  for  many  years.  They 
are  a  singular  race ;  their  peculiarities  have  been  inherited 
for  generations,  but  the  haughty  Barons  troubled  themselves 
little  as  to  what  the  world  might  say  of  them,  and  lived  out 
their  convictions  with  unshaken  fidelity.  It  was  a  Hohen- 
wald  who,  in  Augustus  the  Strong's  time,  stood  forth  at  the 
Saxon  Court  as  the  champion  of  good  old  German  morality 


\ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  25 

in  social  life,  scourging  with  bitter  words  the  wanton  frivolity 
of  the  lovely  court  dames,  and  denouncing  the  extravagant 
luxury  that  ruined  poor  Saxony.  All  that  saved  him  from 
persecution  and  perhaps  imprisonment  in  Konigstein  was 
Augustus  the  Strong's  own  declaration  that  the  Hohenwalda 
ha  1  always  been  fools — it  waa  best  to  let  them  wag  their 
tongues  and  pay  them  no  heed.  So  Werner  von  Hohen- 
wald  was  not  sent  to  Konigstein,  but  to  his  own  castle, 
which  he  never  left  for  many  years,  leading  much  the  same 
bermit-life  there  as  is  led  by  his  great-grandson  to-day. 
Another  Hohenwald,  the  father  of  the  present  Baron,  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  early  part  of  this  century  as  a  warm 
friend  of  Prussia  and  a  bitter  opponent  of  the  Franco-Saxon 
alliance  and  of  the  first  Napoleon,  who  would  have  had  him 
shot  but  for  the  interposition  of  the  king,  who  declared,  as 
Augustus  the  Strong  had  done,  that  the  Hohenwalds  were 
fools,  not  to  be  too  severely  dealt  with.  He,  too,  was  sent  to 
live  in  undisturbed  retirement  in  his  own  castle.  The  present 
lord,  Baron  Werner,  resembles  his  forbears ;  like  them  he  is 
unyielding,  keen  in  word  and  in  action,  a  steadfast,  severe 
man,  li\'ing  according  to  his  own  convictions,  and  holding 
himself  aloof  from  a  world  that  does  not  share  them.  I  do 
not  know  him  personally,  but  I  have  heard  so  much  of  him 
from  my  friend  Amo  and  from  my  own  father,  who  was  in- 
timate with  him  many  years  ago,  that  I  have  a  very  vivid 
idea  of  him,  I  can  see  him  in  my  mind's  eye, — a  tall,  stout 
old  man,  his  stem  face  framed  in  beard  and  hair  of  silver, 
from  which  the  black  eyes  can  flash  terribly  when  he  is 
angry,  although  they  beam  mildly  enough  when  their  gaze 
rests  upon  his  darling,  his  daughter.  It  is  said  that  in  his 
youth,  departing  from  the  traditions  of  his  family,  he  was  a 
gay  and  genial  man  of  fashion.  As  a  wealthy  landed  pro- 
prietor, he  passed  his  summers  at  Hohenwald,  his  winters  in 
Dresden.  At  that  time  my  father  knew  him  well,  and  tl  eii 
■  3 


T>"  --^ '  I  ^^.y^r'r^'TJwBp- 


i6  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

friendship  lasted  for  a  number  of  years  after  the  Baron  mar- 
ried a  Countess  Harrangow.  He  seemed  to  live  very  happily 
with  his  beautiful  wife,  keeping  open  house,  as  well  in  Dres- 
den in  the  winter  as  in  summer  upon  his  estate  of  Hohen- 
wald,  which  is  not  far  from  the  Prussian  boundary.  His 
wife's  relatives  visited  him  frequently,  and  oftien  spent  weeks 
beneath  his  roof,  where  they  were  upon  the  best  of  terms 
with  the  lord  of  the  castle,  although  they  were  Prussians, 
and  he  a  bitter  enemy  of  Prussia  and  a  great  friend  of  Aus- 
tria, never  hesitating  to  declare  his  anti-Prussian  sentiments 
in  the  presence  of  his  Prussian  guests. 

"  A  few  months  aft«r  the  birth  of  his  youngest  child — a 
daughter — there  was  a  sudden  and  complete  transformation 
in  the  Baron's  manner  of  life,  the  cause  of  which  was  entirely 
unknown.  He  separated  from  his  wife,  who  revurned  to  her 
paternal  home,  where  she  received  from  the  Baron  a  large 
yearly  income,  but  whither  she  was  not  permitted  tn  take  her 
children,  two  sons  and  the  baby  daughter,  who  remained  in 
Hohenwald.  No  one  knows  the  reason  for  this  separation ; 
the  Baron  has  never  by  so  much  as  a  word  alluded  t^  it,  and 
all  the  reports  concerning  it  circulated  in  Dresden  society, 
where  the  affair  of  course  made  a  great  deal  of  noise,  are 
utterly  without  foundation.  Even  the  Baroness,  who  died 
within  a  year  after  the  separation,  without  seeing  either  hus- 
band or  children  again,  never  assigned  to  her  paren1>?  any 
reason  for  her  expulsion — for  that  is  the  only  term  to  be  ap- 
plied to  it — from  Hohenwald.  The  relatives  of  the  Baroness, 
who  had  hitherto  always  found  a  welcome  at  the  castle,  did 
all  they  could  to  effect  a  reconciliation  between  husband  and 
wife,  but  they  were  repulsed  by  the  Baron  with  such  harsh- 
ness and  severity  that  they  never  renewed  their  efforts.  My 
father,  too,  fared  no  better.  Relying  upon  the  claims  of 
long  friendship,  he  complied  with  the  wishes  of  the  king, 
who  regretted  that  the  Baron  should  have  so  treated  his  wife** 


^W^SSP^^^TF  <s»^f 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  2,1 

relatives,  and  expressed  a  wish  that  my  father  would  use  his 
influence  with  his  friend,  so  that  if  no  thorough  reconciliation 
oauld  be  brought  about,  at  least  the  public  scandal  of  a  sepa- 
ration without  a  divorce  might  be  avoided.  With  some  reluc- 
tance my  father  undertook  the  task  thus  assigned  him.  He 
could  hardly  refrise  to  do  so,  although  he  had  but  small  hope 
of  any  good  result.  He  went  to  Castle  Hohenwald,  where 
the  manner  of  his  reception  showed  him  the  hopelessness  of 
his  mission. 

"  The  Baron  met  him  with  a  dark  frown.  *  What  is  your 
business  with  me,  Count?'  he  asked,  without  ofFering  his 
hand.  My  father,  embarrassed  by  a  reception  in  such  marked 
contrast  to  the  terms  of  friendship  upon  which  he  had  felt  him- 
self with  the  Baron,  could  not,  of  course,  immediately  explain 
the  real  cause  of  his  appearance  at  Hohenwald,  and  spoke 
courteously  of  his  desire  to  see  a  friend  from  whom  he  had 
been  separated  for  some  time ;  but  the  Baron  interrupted  him 
with,  '  Pray  take  no  unnecessary  pains.  Count.  I  am  not 
fond  of  idle  phrases,  and  declare  to  you  once  for  all  that  I 
will  suflfer  no  one  to  meddle  in  my  affairs.  If  you  have  been 
sent  hither,  repeat  this  to  whoever  sent  you ;  if  you  are  here 
of  your  own  free  will,  take  my  words  to  heart.  If  in  con- 
sideration of  our  former  friendship  you  are  inclined  to  do 
me  a  kindness,  pray  shield  me  from  any  Airther  attempt  to 
influence  me.  Say  in  Dresden  that  the  gates  of  Castle 
Hohenwald  are  in  future  closed  to  all  visitors ;  that  I  have 
irrevocably  and  forever  broken  with  all  my  former  acquaint- 
ances and  friends !' 

"  It  may  easily  be  imagined  that  my  father  after  this  made 
no  attempt  to  speak  with  the  Baron,  but  left  Castle  Hohen- 
wald immediately,  never  to  return  to  it.  From  that  day  the 
gates  of  the  castle  have  been  closed  to  every  one.  One  or 
two  attempts  were  made  by  near  relatives  to  see  the  Baron, 
but  they  were  entirely  unsuccessful, — the  servants  denied 


28  CASTLE  HOEENWALD. 

him  to  every  one.  So  completely  did  lie  isolate  himself 
from  his  former  world  that  he  answered  no  letters  addressed 
to  him  except  those  relating  solely  to  business.  From  that 
time  he  has  led  the  life  of  a  hermit  in  his  castle,  never 
leaving  his  estate,  seeing  no  one  except  the  pastor  and  the 
doctor.  In  spite  of  all  this,  his  servants  and  the  labourers 
employed  upon  the  estate,  as  well  as  the  poor  of  the  neigh- 
bouring villages,  will  stoutly  deny  that  he  is  a  misanthrope ; 
they  represent  him  as  the  kindest  of  masters,  the  best  of 
landlords.  Therefore  I  would  advise  you,  Herr  von  Hahn, 
to  lay  stress  upon  this  fact  in  your  future  narratives  with 
regard  to  the  life  of  the  Baron  von  Hohenwald." 

"  I  shall  most  assuredly  do  so,  my  dear  Count,"  said  the 
Assessor ;  adding,  "  Justice  demands  it,  and  I  could  not  do 
otherwise,  for  a  love  of  justice  is  one  of  my  characteristics. 
I  make  no  boast  of  it,  for  the  gifts  of  nature  are  various ;  but 
so  it  is,  and  I  am  indebted  to  you  for  your  information  with 
regard  to  the  old  Baron  von  Hohenwald,  while  I  await  with 
eagerness  what  you  have  to  tell  of  the  son,  Baron  Arno." 

"  You  will  have  occasion  to  modify  your  judgment  of  him 
also,  for,  in  spite  of  some  eccentricities,  Amo  is  one  of  the 
best  and  noblest  of  men.  You  have  already  laid  perhaps 
more  than  sufficient  stress  upon  the  faults  which  prevent 
mere  acquaintances  from  rightly  estimating  his  excellence. 
There  is  nothing,  therefore,  for  me  to  do  but  to  explain  how 
he  came  to  share  his  father's  eccentricity  and  to  withdraw 
himself  from  society." 

"  He  is  a  woman-hater,  then  ?"  Ad61e  asked,  curiously. 

"  I  cannot  exactly  contradict  you.  He  shuns  the  sex  foi 
the- fault  of  an  individual,  but  I  am  sure  you  will  judge  him 
gently  when  you  hear  his  story.  I  told  you  just  now  that  he 
was  a  silent  and  reserved  officer.  One  of  our  regiment  who 
had  been  with  him  at  school  described  him  to  me  as  the  mer- 
riest of  lads,  always  ready  for  any  school-boy  prank.     But 


■' ^"^^Wri^TM'   -     •  "         -    •-  T       ~.-'M-f^.  •  #5'    s  -^     .  *  ,'5.5■ir^  -  ;,"';■■■.'■ -^-o^StT^^eif; 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  29 

the  separation  of  his  paxenta  seems  to  have  made  a  profound 
im})rcssion  upon  him,  destroying  in  him  all  the  joyousness 
and  geniality  of  youth.  After  his  mother's  return  to  her 
father,  Baron  von  Hohenwald  recalled  Amo  to  Hohenwald 
from  school  in  Dresden,  and  engaged  as  tutor  for  him  the 
pastor  of  the  village,  a  very  earnest  and  learned  man.  Thus 
the  boy  grew  up  sharing  his  father's  solitude  ;  perhaps  his 
father  confided  to  him  the  cause  of  his  lonely  life ;  certain 
it  Is  that  never  during  our  years  of  intimacy  has  Amo 
mentioned  to  me  his  mother's  name.  His  relations  with  his 
father  were  most  intimate  and  affectionate.  Whatever  cause 
the  old  Baron  had  for  repudiating  his  wife,  his  anger  waa 
nevoT  visited  upon  her  children.  To  them  he  has  always 
been  the  most  kind  and  indulgent  of  parents, — even  to  Amo's 
elder  brother,  who  was  much  more  of  a  stranger  to  him  than 
the  others,  since  he,  Werner,  was  already  a  student  in  the 
university  when  Amo  was  recalled  from  school.  The  visits 
to  Castle  Hohenwald  of  the  elder  son,  who  embraced  a  diplo- 
matic career,  have  been  of  necessity  infrequent,  so  that 
naturally  his  father's  heart  does  not  cling  to  him  as  to  the 
constant  inmates  of  his  household. 

"  His  solitary  life  at  Hohenwald  fostered  in  Amo  a  love 
of  retirement,  which  was  manifest  during  his  military  life  in 
Dresden,  whither  he  went  to  join  the  army,  by  his  father's 
desire,  at  the  conclusion  of  his  studies.  He  would  have 
preferred  to  embra4p  one  of  the  learned  professions,  but  his 
father's  wish  waa  his  law  in  this  respect;  and  he  made  a 
capital  officer,  gaining  both  the  respect  and  the  esteem  of  his 
comrades  and  his  superiors.  He  took  lodgings  in  the  house 
of  a  rope-maker,  and,  as  he  spent  all  his  evenings  at  home, 
only  leaving  it  to  ftdfil  his  military  duties,  he  saw  more  of  his 
hostess  and  her  pretty  daughter  than  would  otherwise  have 
been  the  case.  The  daughter,  Rosalie,  a  young  girl  of  six- 
teen, had  been  educated  for  a  teacher,  and  her  associates  at 

8* 


-:^^^?'W»^f.'^E!W?««r>s; 


30  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

school  liad  taught  her  the  air  and  bearing  of  a  higher  social 
rank  than  her  own.  How  could  a  young  man,  who  knew 
nothing  of  society  and  the  world,  fail  to  be  attracted  by  a 
girl  of  extraordinary  beauty  and  a  fair  degree  of  culture,  and 
with  manners  far  above  those  of  her  class?  How  could  he 
suspect  the  utter  want  of  moral  training  beneath  so  fair  an 
exterior,  or  dream  of  the  arts  that  were  practised  to  attract 
him  ?  You  spoke,  Herr  von  Hahn,  of  a  *  love-aflFair  with 
the  pretty  daughter  of  a  rope-maker ;'  a  very  grave  '  love- 
affair'  it  was  for  Arno,  for  he  asked  the  girl  in  marriage  of 
her  parents,  and  of  course  received  from  them  a  glad  con- 
sent to  his  wishes.  Not  only  this,  but,  to  the  extreme  sur- 
prise of  Rosalie's  parents,  the  old  Baron  von  Hohenwald  did 
not  refuse  to  sanction  the  marriage.  When  Arno  went  to 
Hohenwald  to  tell  his  father  of  his  betrothal,  the  old  man 
was  naturally  enough  dismayed  at  the  prospect  of  such  a  mis- 
alliance. He  represented  to  his  son  all  the  consequences  of 
so  fatal  a  step,  the  disapproval  it  would  meet  with  in  all 
quarters,  the  annihilation  of  all  prospect  of  advancement  in 
his  profession,  the  scandal  it  would  cause  in  aristocratic 
circles.  But  when  Arno  declared  that  his  word  was  pledged, 
and  that  nothing  would  induce  him  to  recall  it,  his  father 
withdrew  all  opposition.  He  consented  to  the  union,  though 
he  refused  point-blank  to  repair  to  Dresden  to  see  his  son's 
betrothed,  declaring  that  he  should  have  time  enough  to  make 
her  acquaintance  after  the  marriage. 

"  In  Dresden  the  betrothal  made  a  most  disagreeable  talk ; 
Arno's  comrades  were  beside  themselves ;  they  adjured  him 
to  resign  all  thoughts  of  the  girl,  hinting  that  she  was  quite 
unworthy  of  the  sacrifice  he  was  making  for  her.  All  that 
they  said  was  to  no  purpose,  however ;  and  in  several  cases 
Arno  was  with  difficulty  prevented  from  calling  to  a  bloody 
account  those  who  dared  to  remonstrate  with  him.  The 
oolonel  of  our  regiment,  by  advice  from  very  high  quarters, 


W'^WT  ^^m^'  '^W^mSBm^,  i 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  31 

called  upon  Lieutenant  von  HohenwaJd,  but  his  lepresentar 
tions  availed  nothing  against  my  friend's  ohstinacy.  Amo 
professed  himself  ready  to  request  his  dismissal  from  the 
army,  but  not  to  break  his  plighted  faith.  This  offer  on  his 
part  would  doubtless  have  been  accepted  but  that  war  with 
Prussia  was  imminent,  and  the  services  of  so  brave  an  officer 
as  Amo  von  Hohenwald  could  not  be  spared.  It  was  there 
fore  intimated  that  the  royal  consent  to  his  marriage  would 
be  accorded  him  provided  he  would  accede  to  the  king's  wish 
that  it  should  be  postponed  for  a  year.  To  this  condition  he 
consented,  although  the  pretty  Rosalie  pouted  and  sighed,  and 
her  father  and  mother  were  quite  indignant  at  the  delay. 

"  During  the  short  campaign  that  now  took  him  from  Dres- 
den, Amo  wrote  frequently  to  his  betrothed,  without,  how- 
evei,  receiving  a  word  in  reply,  a  circumstance  for  which  his 
trusting  nature  found  abundant  explanation  in  the  irregularity 
of  the  Bohemian  postal  arrangements.  At  Koni^ratz  he  was 
severely  wounded ;  indeed,  the  newspapers  reported  him  killed, 
and  as  such  they  mourned  him  for  weeks  at  Castle  Hohenwald. 
Meanwhile,  he  was  lying  unconscious  in  the  hospital.  I  was 
in  the  same  ward  with  him,  only  slightly  wounded,  however ; 
I  was  soon  sufficiently  recovered  to  go  to  Dresden,  on  leave, 
to  regain  my  strength  there.  When  I  left  Arno  his  condition 
was  still  very  critical ;  in  one  of  his  intervals  of  consciousness 
he  sent  a  message  by  me  to  his  betrothed,  which  I  of  course 
made  it  my  duty  to  deliver  as  soon  as  possible.  I  found  only 
the  mother  at  home  when  I  paid  my  visit  to  the  rope-maker's, 
and  she  shocked  and  disgusted  me  by  the  want  of  feeling  she 
displayed  upon  hearing  that  Arno  was  not  dead,  as  had  been 
supposed,  but  only  dangerously  wounded.  She  even  appeared 
glad  to  learn  that,  in  the  event  of  his  recovery,  it  must  be 
months  at  least  before  he  cot»ld  come  to  Dresden.  On  the 
same  day,  however,  all  that  was  strange  in  her  behaviour  was 
%lly  explained  to  me  by  the  physician  whom  I  consulted  with 


•:r^v  "■  .■3r«  '■• -^5?^'l--^^;%|ia|i*y^p»pi-' 


32  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

regaxd  to  my  wound,  and  who  had  been  a  fellow-lodger  of 
Arno's  and  his  warm  friend.  As  such  he  felt  it  his  duty  to 
acquaint  me,  the  poor  fellow's  most  intimate  friend,  with  the 
wretched  story  that  so  closely  concerned  him,  and  that  filled  me 
with  consternation  and  disgust.  Amo  had  been  infamously 
deceived  both  by  his  betrothed  and  by  her  parents,  whose 
sole  thought  had  been  how  to  enrich  themselves  at  whatever 
expense  of  honour  and  honesty.  Some  time  before  her  be- 
trothal to  Amo,  Rosalie  had  been  secretly  under  the  protec- 
tion of  a  wealthy  manufacturer  in  Dresden,  her  connection 
with  whom,  when  the  report  of  Arno's  death  seemed  to  her  to 
free  her  from  the  necessity  for  concealment,  became  a  day's 
theme  for  public  gossip.  She  flaunted  her  disgrace  abroad, 
meeting  with  no  opposition  from  her  parents  in  her  down- 
ward career.  There  is  no  need  to  dwell  upon  the  details  of 
this  miserable  business ;  the  investigations  I  felt  it  my  duty  to 
my  friend  to  prosecute  fully  confirmed  the  physician's  story. 
This  being  the  case,  what  was  I  to  do  ?  Of  course,  I  ought 
to  acquaint  Arno  with  the  facts  I  had  learned,  and  yet  the 
knowledge  of  them  might  kill  him  in  his  present  precarious 
state.  I  needed  advice  in  the  matter,  and  I  turned  for  it  to  my 
friend's  father.  I  wrote  to  him  telling  him  all,  begging  him 
to  come  to  Dresden  to  receive  personal  confirmation  of  the 
truth  of  what  I  wrote,  and  offering,  if  he  desired  it,  to  go 
immediately  to  Arno  and  inform  him  of  his  betrothed's 
worthlessness.  I  supposed  that  the  Baron  would  reply  to  my 
letter  in  person,  but  he  did  not  come  to  Dresden  ;  by  return  of 
post  I  received  a  letter  from  him,  expressing  heart-felt  grati- 
tude to  me.  '  I  need,'  he  wrote,  '  no  ftirther  confirmation :  it 
is  for  my  son  to  investigate  this  matter.  Of  course  he  will 
not  condemn  his  betrothed  without  hearing  her  in  her  own 
defence.  I  suffer  greatly  from  the  gout,  and  cannot  come  to 
Dresden  ;  besides,  I  do  not  think  myself  justified  in  forestall- 
ing my  son  in  this  matter.'     He  then  begged  me  to  fulfil 


"    '    Z'^W^"^^-   '    '  ~       '  C.'trW  ,      •  '  lajg'^"— 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  83 

my  promise  to  go  to  Amo  as  soon  as  possible  and  tell  him 
all.  '  Do  not  be  a&aid,'  he  said,  in  conclusion,  '  that  jou 
will  retard  my  son's  recovery  in  thus  peiforming  your  duty 
as  his  Mend.  We  Hohenwalds  come  of  a  tough  stock,  and 
know  how  to  bear  pain ;  it  may  perhaps  bend,  but  it  will  not 
break  us.     Believe  me  when  I  tell  you  this,' 

"  He  was  right,  as  I  found  when  a  few  days  later,  sitting  at 
Amo's  bedside,  and  finding  him  quite  himself  again,  I  tried 
to  prepare  him  gently  for  what  I  had  to  say.  He  perceived 
instantly  that  I  was  the  messenger  of  evil  tidings,  and  briefly 
and  firmly  bade  me  speak  out  and  tell  him  all  that  was  to  be 
told.  I  did  so,  and  he  listened  in  gloomy  silence,  with  down- 
cast eyes,  asking  no  question,  giving  no  sign,  except  the  con- 
vulsive clinching  of  the  hand  that  lay  on  the  coverlet,  of  the 
storm  of  emotion  raging  within  him.  When  I  had  finished, 
he  looked  up  with  eyes  that  seemed  to  read  my  very  soul. 
'  I  do  not  thank  you,'  he  said.  '  I  cannot  tell,  before  I  have 
seen  and  learned  for  myself,  whether  you  have  rendered  me 
the  greatest  service  that  one  friend  can  render  to  another,  or 
whether  I  must  call  you  to  account  as  my  mortal  foe.  Until 
then  we  must  part.  Leave  me  now.  I  shall  soon  seek  you 
out  in  Dresden,  either  to  thank  or ' 

"  I  tried  to  soothe  him,  but  he  repulsed  me  sternly,  and  I 
returned  to  Dresden  without  seeing  him  again.  His  surgeon 
informed  me  that  he  considered  his  condition  very  alarming, 
that  he  feared  the  worst,  and  that  at  all  events  it  must  be 
months  before  he  could  leave  the  hospital.  So  I  left  him, 
filled  with  remorse  for  having  followed  the  old  Baron's  advice ; 
but  scarcely  four  weeks  had  passed  when  one  day  Amo  en- 
tered my  room  in  Dresden.  He  looked  terribly, — ^his  dark 
eyes  gleamed  with  unnatural  brilliancy  in  his  wasted  counte- 
nance, his  right  arm  was  in  a  sling,  while,  although  he  sup- 
ported himself  upon  a  stout  cane,  he  could  scarcely  stand. 
When  I  hurried  towards  him  he  sank,  half  fainting,  into  my 
C 


y 


34  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

arms,  and  I  carried  rather  than  led  him  to  a  lounge.  He 
pressed  my  hand,  and,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak,  said,  '  I 
thank  you  ;  you  t«ld  me  nothing  but  the  truth,  and  yet  not 
all  the  truth.  You  have  saved  me  from  a  horrible  fate,  and 
I  never  will  forget  it.  Add  still  fiirther  to  my  obligations  to 
you  by  granting  me  one  request :  I  entreat  you  never,  never 
again  to  make  the  faintest  allusion  to  that  wretched  girl.'  T 
promised,  and  since  that  day  not  one  word  with  regard  to 
her  has  passed  Amo's  lips.  How  he  parted  from  her  I  never 
knew.  He  had  spent  two  days  in  ascertaining  the  truth  of 
the  story  I  had  told  him,  and  then  came  to  my  room,  which  it 
was  long  before  he  left  again.  His  strength  of  will  had  sus- 
tained him  until  his  purpose  was  fulfilled,  and  then  he  was 
utterly  prostrated.  For  many  a  night  I  watched  by  his  bed, 
hopeless  as  to  his  recovery,  but  in  the  end  his  vigoroxis  con- 
stitution conquered.     The  old  Baron  was  right. 

"  During  his  convalescence  we  often  discussed  our  plans  for 
the  future.  We  both  resolved  to  send  in  our  resignations. 
I  spare  you  our  reasons  for  this  course  of  action,  for  I 
know  that  you,  my  dear  Assessor,  are  one  of  Prince  Bis- 
marck's most  enthusiastic  supporters,  and  that  my  lovely 
cousin  Ad^Ie,  as  the  daughter  of  a  Prussian  official  high  in 
rank,  could  hardly  appreciate  the  feeling  that  made  it  impos- 
sible for  us  to  continue  in  the  army  aft«r  peace  was  con- 
cluded. Amo's  political  opinions  so  closely  coincided  with 
my  own  that  our  plans  for  the  future  were  the  same.  For 
him,  as  for  me,  it  was  simply  impossible  to  accept  office  under 
government,  and  so  we  determined  to  withdraw  altogether 
from  public  life,  to  study  the  management  of  estates  and  to 
find  our  calling  in  the  friture  in  administering  our  own. 

"  I  wrote  to  my  father,  and  received  his  speedy  approval  of 
my  resolution.  Amo,  as  soon  as  he  was  strong  enough,  set 
out  for  Hohenwald.  I  proposed  to  accompany  him,  but  to 
this  he  objected,  telling  me  frankly  that  he  could  not  invito 


~r!»  je>s^-^s!^'^»'!- 


i  v^"-"":; 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  35 

even  his  dearest  friend  to  Hohenwald ;  tliat  his  father's  secla- 
sion  must  be  invaded  by  no  stranger.  He  attained  his  wish, 
however ;  his  father  had  no  objection  to  make  to  his  plans ; 
and  so  we  both  went  to  Tharandt  to  study,  and  later  travelled 
through  Europe  together,  until  my  father's  death  called  me 
home.  Since  then  Amo  has  been  living  in  Hohenwald, 
where,  as  he  writes  me,  he  has  undertaken  the  management 
of  his  estates.  I  have  not  seen  him,  for  Hohenwald  is  closed 
to  every  one;  but  we  correspond  constantly,  and  he  hap 
promised  to  pay  me  a  visit  shortly," 


CHAPTER    III. 

The  ladies  had  listened  eagerly  to  Count  Slyrum  s  narra- 
tive. Frau  von  Sorr,  indeed,  was  so  impressed  and  interested 
by  all  that  she  heard  of  the  Freiherr  that  she  forgot  for  the 
moment  the  late  disagreeable  encounter  with  Count  Bepuin. 

Ad^Ie  was  no  less  interested.  So  absorbed  was  she  in  her 
cousin's  account  that  she  did  not  notice  a  certain  restless- 
ness that  had  begun  to  pervade  the  guests  seated  at  the 
numerous  small  supper-tables.  It  was  the  invariable  custom 
at  the  President's  balls  for  the  daughter  of  the  house  to  give 
the  signal  for  the  renewal  of  dancing,  by  leaving  the  supper- 
room  escorted  by  her  cavalier.  This  duty  the  young  giil, 
usually  so  attentive  a  hostess,  had  wellnigh  forgotten,  and  she 
would  have  continued  to  question  her  cousin  upon  the  sub- 
ject that  so  interested  her,  had  not  her  brother  Heinrich 
reminded  her  that  their  guests  were  awaiting  with  some  im- 
patience the  return  to  the  ball-room.  He  left  the  table 
where  he  had  been  playing  the  part  of  host,  and,  standing 
behind  his  sister's  chair,  whispered  in  her  ear,  "  You  seem 


l-i-'   ■  ^'fn  liilf^r  V  i'l'i  ^Ti  ■   -   ^1     - 


--,T^T.  <F'".»^'>^''»W?55»!WI!gp^5SWpi 


56  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

to  have  lofgotten,  Ad61e,  that  it  is  high  time  the  dancing 
began  agam." 

"  Why  are  you  in  such  a  hurry  ?  You  are  not  used  to  be  so 
eager  to  daace,"  Ad^le  repUed,  in  a  tone  of  some  annoyance. 

"  I  speak  for  our  guests,  who  have  been  looking  impatiently 
for  your  l«javing  the  supper-room,  as  you  would  have  seen 
yourself  hjkd  not  interest  in  your  conversation  with  our  cousin 
made  you  olind  and  deaf  to  everything  else.  Let  me  beg  you 
now  to  beftow  a  little  attention  upon  others." 

Althouph  her  brother's  reproof  might  have  been  more 
amiably  a»uninistered,  Ad^le  felt  the  justice  of  what  he  said, 
and,  risinj-  instantly,  begged  Count  Styrum  to  conduct  her  to 
the  ball-ri»om.  The  other  couples  followed  her  immediately, 
and  the  supper-room  was  soon  emptied  of  all  the  guests  with 
the  exception  of  the  elderly  gentlemen,  for  whom  the  Presi- 
dent now  produced  his  choicest  Havanas,  and  whose  enjoy- 
ment of  the  evening  only  rightly  began  when,  supper  finished, 
they  could  linger  over  their  wine  with  closed  doors. 

For  those  younger  men  who  were  not  enthusiastic  dancers, 
but  who  were  fond  of  high  play,  Heinrich  von  Gruntram  had 
his  own  sanctum  prepared.  The  gaming-table  was  set  out,  the 
champagne  duly  iced,  and  he  only  waited  until  the  dancing 
should  have  begun  to  assemble  there  the  chosen  few.  His 
father  discountenanced  gaming,  and  therefore  there  had  been 
no  mention  of  play  before  supper,  but  now  that  the  President 
was  occupied  with  his  special  friends,  Heinrich  dutiftdly 
ianced  once  with  his  partner  at  supper,  and  then  led  the 
Tray  to  his  room,  followed  by  all  those  for  whom  gaming 
Uways  formed  part  of  an  evening's  entertainment. 

"  Are  you  tired  of  dancing,  Count  B«puin  ?"  he  asked 
the  Russian,  who  stood  in  a  doorway,  gloomily  watching  Frau 
▼on  Sorr  as  she  was  waltzing  with  the  Assessor.  "  Come  to 
mj  room  and  you  will  find  a  cigar." 

«  And  cards  ?" 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  37 

«  Of  course." 

"  Have  you  asked  Sorr  ?" 

"  No ;  you  know " 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  but  you  will  do  me  a  great  favour  if  yon 
will  ask  him  to  join  us." 

This  request  embarrassed  Heinrich;  he  did  not  like  to 
spare  the  Russian  from  the  card-table,  for  he  always  lost, 
when  he  did  lose,  with  great  equanimity,  but  he  was  naturally 
diuinclined  to  extend  his  invitation  to  Sorr.  "  I  have  already 
asked  Amim,"  he  said,  hesitating,  "  and  I  am  afraid " 

"  Of  his  making  a  scene  with  Sorr,"  the  Russian  com- 
pleted his  sentence.  "  You  need  not  be  afraid.  Whatever 
Arnim  might  say  at  the  club  with  regard  to  Sorr,  be  sure 
that  beneath  your  roof  he  will  respect  him  as  your  guest. 
Indeed,  you  will  greatly  oblige  me.  Herr  von  OuntnLii,  by 
asking  Sorr." 

"  If  you  really  wish  it,  of  course  I  will  do  so,"  Heiniich  re- 
plied ;  "  but  I  would  far  rather  that  the  invitation  should  come 
from  you  than  from  me.  I  could  then  excuse  mysolf  to 
Arnim,  upon  the  plea  that  not  I,  but  you,  introduced  him." 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  the  Count.  "  I  will  bring  him  with  me, 
with  your  permission.  All  that  Herr  von  Amim  said  was 
that  he  would  not  play  when  Sorr  kept  the  bank,  and  we  can 
easily  arrange  that.  I  will  not  follow  you  with  Sorr  until  half 
an  hour  has  elapsed,  and  your  game  wUl  have  been  begun 
when  we  arrive." 

Heinrich  assented ;  he  left  the  Russian,  and,  as  he  passed 
through  the  ball-room,  observed  that  Count  Styrum  was 
standing  alone,  looking  on  at  the  dancers.  "  You  are  nc 
dancer.  Count,"  he  said,  addressing  him.  "  I  think  you  did 
not  dance  before  supper  either." 

"No,  I  never  dance  much;  and  just  now,  as  you  know,  I 
am  in  mourning." 

"  It  must  bore  you  to  look  on  at  all  this  spinning  aad 

4 


-  ''^.y/^fref^J^  <-i-:^'^W''^^^^ 


38  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

whirling.  If  you  have  not  forsworn  cards,  cousin,  you  will 
find  in  my  room  a  good  cigar,  excellent  champagne,  and  a  few 
very  clever  fellows." 

"  Do  you  play  high  ?" 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all.  Count  Repuin  stakes  rather  large 
sums  sometimes,  but  no  one  else  among  us  does  so,  except  per- 
haps Herr  von  Sorr,  when  he  has  any  money,  which  is  not 
often.  The  rest  of  us  stake  but  little ;  we  play  merely  to 
kill  time." 

Count  Styrum  cared  very  little  for  play.  He  had  now  and 
then  won  and  lost  small  sums  at  t.  public  gaming-table,  but 
it  had  been  more  out  of  compliance  with  the  wish  of  some 
friend  who  desired  his  companionship  than  from  any  interest 
in  the  game.  He  would  have  refused  his  cousin's  invitation 
but  that  he  was  curious  to  know  more  of  Herr  von  Sorr,  and 
thought  that  no  better  opportunity  could  offer  for  meeting 
the  man  who  was  husband  to  the  beautiful  woman  who 
had  so  interested  him.  He  therefore  followed  Heinrich, 
who  led  the  way  to  the  room  which  he  called  his  study, 
and  presented  him  to  the  young  men,  mostly  officers,  there 
assembled.  Count  Repuin  and  Herr  von  Sorr  were  not  yet 
present. 

"  Who  is  to  keep  the  bank?"  asked  Herr  von  Saldem,  who, 
impatient  to  begin,  was  already  shuffling  the  cards. 

"  Let  us  take  turns ;  each  put  in  twenty-five  thalers." 

"  Twenty-five  thalers  is  too  little.  There  are  but  ten  oi 
us,  and  that  would  only  make  two  hundred  and  fifty  thalers,' 
Herr  von  Saldern  objected. 

"  Come,  come,  Saldem,  you  shall  not  insist  upon  high 
play,"  said  Herr  von  Arnim.  "  Let  us  have  a  comfortable 
evening,  and  not  dip  too  deep  in  one  another's  pockets.  1 
agree  to  Gruntram's  proposal,  but  upon  condition  that  the 
bank  is  kept  only  by  one  of  those  now  present." 

«  But  whjjr  ?" 


^j^i^!^^-;'^- .'■■■■7.  ;.^^' ■■^,^'^t-'^,'^;',::^W'^^'^^         '■    '      -      :-'^r'',-?sr\ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  39 

"  Because  I  suspect  that  Sorr  will  find  his  way  here  before 
ong  ;  he  has  a  wonderful  scent  for  cards.  I  have  declared 
that  I  will  not  play  when  he  keeps  the  bank,  and  I  will  run 
DO  risks." 

"  You  ought  to  be  more  careftd  in  speaking  of  Herr  von 
Sorr,  my  dear  Amim,"  Heinrich  von  Guntram  remonstrated. 

"  Bah  !  I  don't  care  that  whether  or  not  he  hears  what  I 
say,"  said  Arnim,  snapping  his  fingers.  "  Besides,  he  ought 
to  feel  flattered  by  my  fear  of  him.  At  all  events,  I  am 
uuperstitious,  and  feel  sure  I  shall  lose  my  money  if  Son- 
keeps  the  bank ;  so  I  repeat  my  condition,  and  will  not  take 
part  in  the  game  unless  it  be  accepted." 

"  Well,  well,  it  is  accepted.  Let  us  begin,  and  let  Grun- 
tram  be  banker  first  I"  the  rest  cried,  impatiently,  jas  they 
seated  themselves  at  the  table ;  and  Guntram,  after  receiving 
twenty-five  thalers  from  each  of  the  players,  began  the  game 
as  banker.  He  had  hardly  drawn  the  first  card  when  Count 
Repuin  and  Herr  von  Sorr  made  their  appearance. 

"  I  knew  it !"  Herr  von  Amim  whispered  to  Count  Styrum. 
"  Sorr  scents  cards  ten  miles  ofF;  no  vulture  could  be  keener. 
Pray,  Herr  von  Sorr,"  he  added,  aloud,  as  the  latter  seemed 
inclined  to  take  a  seat  between  Amim  and  Count  Styrum, 
"  be  good  enough  to  find  a  place  the  other  side  of  the  Count. 
I  do  not  like  to  lose  so  agreeable  a  neighbour,  and  there  really 
is  no  room  on  this  side." 

All  eyes  were  turned  upon  Sorr,  and  every  one  looked  for 
some  hasty  leply  to  Amim's  words,  which  were  almost  insult- 
ing from  their  tone  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were 
uttered  ;  but  Sorr  either  did  not  or  Would  not  perceive 
intentional  offience  in  them,  and,  merely  saying,  "You/ 
right ;  there  is  more  room  here,"/placed  a  chair  on  the 
of  Count  Stymm  and  took  his  seat  in  it. 

This  propinquity  was  not  undesirable  to  the  Count,  who 
cow  had  the  best  possible  opportunity  for  obsei'ving  the  man 


^m" 


40  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

of  whom  he  had  heard  so  much  from  the  Assessor.  Aa 
he  did  so  he  could  not  help  saying  to  himself,  "  How  could 
this  man  ever  have  won  the  aflfection  of  that  charming 
woman  ?"  Never  had  he  been  more  disagreeably  impressed 
by  any  one,  and  yet  he  could  hardly  tell  why  this  was  so. 
Herr  von  Sorr's  features  were  regular ;  his  fair  full  beard  and 
curling  light  hair  became  him  well ;  his  blue  eyes  were  fine  iu 
form  and  colour ;  but  the  expression  of  both  features  and 
eyes  was  to  the  Count  most  repulsive.  An  artificial  smile  con- 
stantly played  about  his  finely-chiselled  lips.  His  eyes  never 
looked  fairly  into  those  of  the  man  whom  he  addressed  ;  there 
was  an  air  of  utter  weakness  and  want  of  character  about 
him  ;  defects  which,  beyond  all  others,  Count  Styrum  despised. 

The  game  began,  and  was  very  moderately  conducted. 
Count  Repuin,  who  was  seated  opposite  Sorr,  beside  Heinrich 
von  Guntram,  now  and  then  staked  a  large  sum,  which  he 
usually  lost.  Sorr  staked  but  little  ;  between  him  and  Count 
Styrum  on  the  table  there  was  a  little  heap  of  silver  and 
paper  money,  from  which  he  took  his  stakes  and  to  which  he 
added  his  winnings;  beside  it  lay  the  pocket-book  of  the 
Count,  who,  for  want  of  small  notes,  had  one  of  larger 
amount  changed  by  the  banker.  The  game  interested  him 
but  slightly,  and  he  had  abundant  opportunity  to  watch  the 
players,  who,  in  spite  of  the  small  stakes,  gradually  displayed 
an  eagerness  which  was  by  no  means  allayed  by  the  cham- 
pagne with  which  the  servant  in  attendance  plied  them. 

The  company  began  to  grow  noisy.  Heinrich  von  Gun- 
tram,  who  had  handed  over  the  bank  to  Herr  von  Amim,  and 
who  began  to  stake  larger  sums,  cursed  his  luck  loudly,  and 
was  laughed  at  by  Amim,  who  had  a  ready  word  of  ridicule 
for  all,  and  bidden  to  imitate  the  composure  of  Herr  von  Sorr, 
who  won  or  lost  with  equal  grace. 

Herr  von  Sorr  did  not  seem  to  hear  Amim's  persiflage ; 
his  attention  all  appeared  to  be  given  to  the  game,  and  he 


'iai,^^  r^TT- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  41 

showed  a  moderation  in  drinking  which  contrasted  strikingly 
with  the  conduct  of  his  friend  Count  Repuin,  who  emptied 
glass  after  glass  of  the  champagne,  which  Sorr  refrised,  con- 
fining himself  to  a  few  glasses  of  seltzer  water.  The  wine, 
however,  appeared  to  produce  no  effect  upon  the  Russian ; 
he  seemed  not  at  all  excited  and  observant  only  of  the  game. 
But  Styrum,  who  watched  him  narrowly,  perceived  that  this 
was  only  seeming ;  that  in  reality  Repuin 's  whole  attention 
was  given  to  Styrum's  neighbour,  Sorr. 

Thus  the  game  lasted  for  about  an  hour,  when  Repuin  rose 
from  the  table.  "  I  have  had  enough  for  to-night,"  he  said, 
gathering  up  his  money ;  "  and  you  too.  Count  Styrum,  seeiti 
but  little  interested.  Shall  we  not,  without  disturbing  the 
others,  take  a  quiet  cigar  together  in  the  next  room  and 
discuss — our  Italian  experiences,  for  example  ?  I  think  we 
were  at  Naples  at  the  same  time." 

Count  Styrum  was  greatly  surprised  at  being  thus  ad- 
dressed. He  did  not  know  the  Russian,  to  whom  he  had 
been  but  formally  introduced.  What  could  be  his  reason 
for  desiring  to  converse  privately  with  an  entire  stranger 
in  the  next  room  ?  He  must  have  some  special  aim  in 
view,  although  what  this  was  Styrum  could  not  divine.  He 
hesitated  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  man  whose  be- 
haviour towards  Frau  von  Sorr  had  so  disgusted  him,  but 
curiosity  to  know  what  the  Russian  contemplated  conquered 
his  reluctance,  and,  taking  his  offered  arm,  he  accompanied 
him  into  the  adjoining  room,  the  door  of  which  Repuin 
closed  behind  them. 

"  I  thank  you  for  accepting  my  invitation,  Count,"  said  the 
Rua.nan,  from  whose  face  the  courteous  smile  vanished  as 
soon  as  they  were  alone.  "  You  guess,  of  course,  that  I  have 
sought  this  interview  with  you  for  a  graver  object  than  any 
discussion  of  Italian  experiences.  I  shall  therefore,  without 
circumlocution,  come  to  the  point  at  once  with  a  question 

4* 


«!Ei"|B 


42  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

which  will  doubtless  strike  you  as  very  strange.  Do  jou 
know  how  much  money  there  was  in  the  pocket-book  which 
lay  before  you  on  the  t,able,  and  which  you  have  just  put  into 
your  pocket  ?" 

"  Your  question  is  indeed  a  strange  one !" 

''  I  will  explain  it  immediately,  if  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to 
give  me  an  answer." 

"  I  cannot  see  what  possible  interest  the  amount  of  money 
that  I  carry  in  my  pocket-book  can  have  for  you,  Count  Rep- 
uin,  but,  since  you  wish  it,  I  can  tell  you  about  how  much 
there  was.  When  I  sat  down  to  play  I  had  five  one-hundred- 
thaler  notes  in  my  pocket-book ;  one  of  these  I  exchanged 
for  two  fifties ;  one  of  these  again  I  put  into  my  pocket-book, 
using  the  other  for  the  game,  so  that,  besides  some  small  notes, 
the  amount  of  which  I  cannot  tell  you,  since  I  do  not  know 
how  much  I  won  or  lost,  my  pocket-book  must  contain  four 
hundred-thaler  notes  and  one  fifty." 

"  Thank  you.  I  pray  your  patience  for  a  moment,  and 
you  shall  understand  my  apparently  indiscreet  question.  Pe 
so  obliging  as  to  take  out  your  pocket-book  and  see  whether 
it  contains  the  sum  you  have  mentioned." 

"  Count  Repuin,  this  is  a  most  extraordinary  request !" 

"  It  is  ;  and  if  you  insist,  I  will  instantly  explain  it  to  you , 
but  you  would  greatly  oblige  me  by  first  glancing  at  the  con- 
tents of  your  pocket-book ;  my  demand  can  easily  be  complied 
with." 

Styrum  could  not  avoid  granting  a  request  couched  in 
terms  so  courteous ;  he  opened  his  pocket-book  and  counted 
his  notes,  finding,  to  his  great  astonishment,  that  they  num- 
bered only  three  hundred-thaler  notes  in  addition  to  the  fifty 
and  the  smaller  sums. 

"  Well,  is  your  money  all  right  ?"  asked  Repuin,  who  waa 
watching  him  with  eager  interest. 

"  No ;   a  hundred-thaler  note  is  missing.     It  must  have 


;  ??i!ii^M;5«w=«s"^!:K»i^!5"-?ji^^"--' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  ^        43 

dropped  on  the  floor  when  I  changed  the  other.     I  will  go 
look  for  it." 

"  Do  not  trouble  yourself,  Count ;  you  will  find  nothing," 
the  Russian  calmly  rejoined.  "  I  will  find  it  for  you,  and,  in 
doing  so,  will  entirely  explain  my  apparently  unjustifiable 
curiosity." 

He  awaited  no  reply  from  Styrum.  Opening  the  dooi 
leading  intc  the  next  room,  he  called,  in  an  imperious  tone, 
"  Herr  von  Sorr,  one  word  with  you.  Count  Styrum  wishes 
to  speak  to  you." 

A  livid  pallor  overspread  Sorr's  countenance.  Did  he 
suspect  what  was  coming  ?  He  started,  and  one  hand  sought 
his  breast-pocket,  but  before  it  could  reach  it  it  was  seized  by 
Count  Repuin  and  held  as  if  in  a  vice.  "  Leave  the  contents 
of  your  pocket  untouched,"  the  Russian  whispered  in  his  ear. 
"  Follow  me  instantly, — I  command  you  !" 

Sorr  obeyed,  following  the  Russian  like  a  trembling  slave. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?"  was  the  question  that  hovered  upon 
the  lips  of  all,  and  that  was  uttered  aloud  by  one  of  the  young 
men  at  the  table.  Although  Repuin's  last  words  had  been 
spoken  in  a  tone  so  low  as  to  reach  Sorr's  ears  alone,  all  had 
heard  his  first  authoritative  summons  and  had  seen  Sorr's 
confusion  as  the  Count  had  seized  his  hand,  and  all  wondered 
what  was  the  matter,  although  only  one  uttered  the  question. 

"  Something  very  disagreeable,  most  certainly,''  Heinrich 
von  Guntram  made  reply.  "  In  my  opinion,  gentlemen,  we 
had  better  finish  the  game  and  go  back  to  the  ball-room  as 
soon  as  possible.  Let  those  three  end  their  bxisiness  as  seems 
to  them  best ;  the  less  we  know  of  it  the  better." 

"  But  our  bank !"  Herr  von  Saldem  exclaimed. 

"  Arnim,  who  is  banker,  will  attend  to  all  that,  and  see  thai 
each  one  receives  his  due  proportion ;  will  you  not,  Herr  von 
Arnim?" 

"  'Tis  already  done,  my  dear  fellow.     You  will  take  charge 


*  ■H37???r^ 


*4  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

of  Count  Stymm's  share,"  replied  Arnifb.  "  Be  quick,  gen- 
tlemen ;  here  is  your  money.  I  agree  with  Guntram  that 
the  less  we  hear  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  next  room  the 
better.  Let  us  go  back  to  the  ball-room.  This  scandalous 
scene  will  at  all  events  convince  our  friend  Guntram  how  unfit 
Sorr  is  to  be  admitted  to  the  society  of  gentlemen,  and  we 
shall,  I  hope,  be  spared  any  association  with  him  in  future." 

Count  Repuin  closed  the  door  of  the  next  room  after  Sorr, 
and  then,  turning  to  Count  Styrum,  said,  "  I  will  now  give 
you  the  solution  of  the  riddle  I  have  just  read  you,  Count." 
As  he  spoke  he  leaned  against  the  closed  door,  and  looked 
with  disdainful  contempt  at  the  miserable  wretch  before  him, 
who  would  evidently  have  fled  from  the  room  had  not  the 
Russian's  tall  form  barred  his  egress. 

Styrum  had  already  taken  a  thorough  dislike  to  Count 
Repuin,  from  witnessing  his  behaviour  towards  Fran  von 
Sorr.  Now,  as  he  marked  the  triumphant  malice  that  min- 
gled with  the  contempt  expressed  in  his  face,  this  dislike 
deepened  te  what  was  almost  a  horror.  He  divined  what 
would  be  the  solution  of  the  riddle  of  the  lost  money ;  he 
remembered  all  that  the  Assessor  had  said  of  Sorr,  and,  re- 
calling the  keen  scrutiny  that  Repuin  had  bestowed  upon 
Sorr's  movements  at  the  gaming-table,  he  could  not  doubt 
why  the  Russian  had  summoned  the  pale,  trembling  wreteh 
before  him.  Still,  he  could  not  understand  the  triumph  with 
which  Repuin  was  regarding  the  detected  thief.  Was  he 
Qot,  according  to  the  Assessor's  report,  the  man's  intimate 
friend  ?  What  reason  could  he  have  for  sacrificing  him 
merely  to  restore  some  lost  money  to  a  stranger  ?  This  riddle 
Styrum  could  not  solve,  for  it  was  incredible  that  Repuin 
should  act  thus,  simply  from  indignation  at  Sorr's  dishonesty. 

After  a  moment's  pause  the  Russian  turned  to  Styrum: 
*'  Do  you  now  guess,  Count,  where  your  hundred-thaler  note 
will  be  found  ?     You  do  not  reply  ?     Well,  I  will  tell  you ; 


'■mv^rmi'm^^^^^^^;^^:^^^^^J^'y^::^^'%:^  -jvj.Ts^^^p';^;^.  - .      -i-w^^fs^-. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.        .  46 

it  is  at  present  in  Herr  von  Sorr's  breast-pocket,  whither  it 
was  conveyed  from  your  pocket-book,  with  immense  dexterity 
it  is  true,  but  not  dexterously  enough  to  elude  my  vigilance. 
He  is  the  thief, — does  he  dare  to  deny  it  ?" 

He  did  not  dare.  Repuin's  words  seemed  to  annihilate 
him,  all  the  more  that  they  were  uttered  by  a  man  whom  he 
had  thought  his  friend.  Pale  and  trembling,  unable  to  artic- 
ulate a  word  in  self-defence,  he  bowed  before  the  terrible  fate 
that  had  thus  overtaken  him.  All  power  of  resistance  seemed 
crushed  out  of  him.     In  silence  he  awaited  his  sentence. 

"  Give  back  the  stolen  note  to  Count  Styrum,"  the  Russian 
ordered. 

Again  he  obeyed;  he  was  incapable  of  thought, — Rep- 
uin's iron  will  ruled  him  irresistibly.  Automatically  be  put 
his  hand  into  his  breast-pocket,  took  out  the  note,  and  handed 
it  to  Count  Styrum. 

"  I  have  kept  my  word,"  Repuin  continued.  "  You  are 
again  in  possession  of  the  missing  note.  We  must  now  con- 
sider what  is  to  be  done  with  this  scoundrel.  It  is  your  part, 
as  the  sufferer  by  his  theft,  to  decide  this.  Shall  we  deliver 
him  over  to  justice  and  a  jail  ?  He  is  ripe  for  it ;  this  is  not 
his  first  crime  of  the  kind,  as  his  skill  in  committing  it 
testifies.  Let  us  take  the  gentlemen  in  the  next  room  into 
council,  and  send  for  the  police.     What  say  you,  Count  ?" 

"  For  Grod's  sake,  have  mercy  upon  me !"  With  this  cry 
Sorr  threw  himself  at  the  Russian's  feet.  But  Repuin  thrust 
him  from  him.  "  Hands  off,  scoundrel  1  To  me  you  appeal 
in  vain.     There  stands  your  judge !" 

He  pointed  as  he  spoke  to  Count  Styrum,  and  to  him  the 
wretched  Sorr  turned  with  clasped  hands.  "  Spare  me, 
Count !"  he  implored.  "  I  have  given  you  back  the  note. 
Have  pity !" 

Pity  for  the  worthless  creature  who  crawled  thus  in  the 
dust  after  his  detection  Count  Styrum  could  not  feel.     Why 


WHTIK-  5y^-^3=4'.^","«',y     inrJi^-^'^^a^ 


46  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

should  he  have  any  compassion  upon  the  miserable  worldling 
who  had  squandered  his  means  in  every  kind  of  low  dissipa- 
tion and  was  now  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  common  thief? 
He  deserved  mercy  less  than  did  the  criminal  whom  want 
and  misery  had  driven  to  steal.  It  was  his  duty  to  banish 
him  from  the  society  of  honest  men  and  deliver  him  over  to 
a  just  punishment. 

And  yet,  just  at  this  moment,  there  presented  itself  to 
Count  Styrum's  mind  a  vision  of  the  lovely  young  creature 
who,  without  a  suspicion  of  the  horrible  fate  impending  over 
her,  had  but  a  short  time  before  listened  to  his  words  with 
such  interest.  Would  not  a  just  sentence  pronounced  upon 
her  husband  crush  her  also  ?  And  Ad^le, — Frau  von  Son- 
was  her  dearest  friend.  What  a  blow  her  misery  would  inflict 
upon  Ad^le  ! 

Thus  Styrum  was  still  undecided  between  the  consideration 
he  felt  for  Frau  von  Sorr  and  for  his  cousin's  peace  of  mind 
and  the  evident  duty  of  delivering  over  a  thief  to  justice, 
when  suddenly  an  idea  occurred  to  him  that  caused  him 
to  waver  no  longer.  What  reason  had  Count  Repuin  for 
convicting  his  friend  of  a  theft  ?  Was  he  weary  of  a  friend- 
ship which,  as  the  Assessor  reported,  cost  him  so  much 
money?  Had  the  disdainful  repulse  he  had  but  now  re- 
ceived from  Frau  von  Sorr  incited  him  to  revenge?  Or 
did  he  hope  by  ruining  the  husband  to  plunge  the  wife  into 
such  misery  that  she  would  in  the  end  be  accessible  to  his 
degrading  advances  ?  He  looked  quite  capable  of  so  devilish 
a  scheme. 

"  Decide,  Count !"  Repuin  said,  hastily.  "  What  is  done 
must  be  done  quickly  !" 

"  I  have  decided,"  Count  Styrum  replied.  "  We  owe  it  to 
the  hospitality  extended  to  us  beneath  this  roof  to  avoid  a 
scandal  which  would  be  most  painftil  to  my  uncle  and  to  my 
oousin  Adde." 


W^'WH 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  47 

"  And  you  will  let  the  fellow  go  scot-free  ?"  Repoin  asked, 
gloomily. 

"  If  we  allow  him  to  escape  the  legal  penalty  of  his  vil- 
lainy, his  sole  punishment  must  be  the  memory  of  this  hour, 
which,  I  trust,  may  serve  him  as  a  warning." 

"  Oh,  Count  Styrum,  how  shall  I  thank  you  I"  exclaimed 
3orr,  to  whose  cheeks  the  colour  began  to  return,  as  he  at- 
tempted, but  vainly,  to  take  Styrum's  hand. 

"  Spare  me  your  acknowledgments,"  said  Styrum,  taming 
from  him  with  disgust.  "  It  is  owing  to  no  sympathy  for 
you,  but  to  consideration  for  the  society  in  which  I  find  you, 
that  you  are  spared  the  punishment  you  deserve.  Go, — take 
my  advice,  and  leave  my  uncle's  house  on  the  instant.  I 
trust  I  shall  never  meet  you  again  beneath  his  roof." 

Sorr  would  immediately  have  followed  this  counsel,  but  it 
was  impossible,  for  Repuin,  who  was  still  leaning  with  folded 
arms  against  the  closed  door,  did  not  stir.  The  Russian's 
eyes  were  gloomily  fixed  on  the  ground ;  evidently  he  was  dis- 
satisfied with  Styrum's  decision,  and  was  considering  whether 
or  how  he  should  cbmbat  it.  As  Sorr  approached  him  he 
looked  up.  "  You  are  in  too  great  a  hurry,"  he  said,  dis- 
dainfully. "  You  and  I  are  not  yet  quits ;  we  have  a  few 
points  to  discuss  that  would  hardly  interest  Count  Styrum. 
I  left  the  decision  in  this  matter  to  you.  Count,  since  you 
were  the  injured  party,  and  I  bow  to  it,  but  I  cannot  suffer 
this  man  longer  to  frequent  a  society  in  which  he  is  regarded 
as  my  friend,  and  where  I  must  continually  encounter  him. 
The  means  that  I  shall  use  to  prevent  this  will  depend  upon 
the  result  of  a  private  conversation,  which  I  must  insist  upon 
having  with  Herr  von  Sorr." 

There  was  in  these  words  so  direct  a  request  to  be  left 
alone  with  Sorr  that  Count  Styrum  could  not  but  comply ;  he 
had  no  right  to  remain,  although  an  imploring  look  from  Sorr 
seemed  to  entreat  him  to  do  so.     With  a  slight  inclinatiop 


■  "^^S^^^^i^^syf*.  - 


48  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

to  Repuin,  who  instantly  made  way,  and  even  op«aed  the 
door,  he  left  the  room. 

Scarcely  was  he  gone  when  Sorr  raised  his  heal.  The 
degradation  of  the  moment  when  his  villainy  had  been  un- 
masked in  the  presence  of  a  stranger  had  robbed  him  of  all 
power  of  self-defence  ;  now  that  he  found  himself  alone  with 
the  Russian  he  waa  once  more  able  to  speak ;  his  wrath  he 
might  hope  to  appease.  Although  Repuin's  savagely  passion- 
ate nature  had  always  impressed  him  with  a  kind  of  terror,  he 
thought  he  could  devise  a  means  to  pacify  him,  difficult  as  it 
might  be.  Extreme  caution  was  necessary, — in  Count  Sty- 
rum's  presence  this  means  could  not  be  mentioned,  but  now, 
let  him  but  soothe  his  antagonist  with  hopes  of  the  fulfilment 
of  his  wild  desires  and  all  might  yet  be  well. 

"  How  could  you — you  of  all  men — act  as  you  have  just 
done,  Count  ?"  Sorr  began.  "  How  have  I  deserved  such 
treatment  at  your  hands  ?  You  know  how  devoted  I  am  to 
your  interests,  how  grateful  for  all  you  have  done  for  me, — 
that  I  should  think  no  sacrifice  too  great  to  testify  this  grati- 
tude to  you,  and  yet  you — ^you  it  is  who  would  ruin  me !" 

Repuin  looked  down  with  haughty  contempt  upon  the 
cringing  figure  before  him.  He  had  spent  months  in  study- 
ing this  man,  and  his  servile,  degraded  soul  was  as  an  open 
book  before  him ;  he  knew  the  precise  value  of  all  these 
asseverations. 

"  Spare  me  your  protestations,  Herr  von  Sorr,"  he  replied, 
"  they  will  avail  you  nothing.  I  did  not  detain  you  here  to 
listen  to  your  assurances  of  friendship  and  gratitude,  but  to 
put  a  stop  to  any  such.  I  have  lost  my  interest  in  the  game 
which  you  and  your  beautiful  wife  have  been  playing  with 
me.  I  must  be  done  with  it.  Understand  me, — I  refiise  to 
be  any  longer  either  your  dupe  or  your  wife's." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you.     I " 

"  You  shall  learn  to  do  so.     I  know  you.     I  have  ecniti- 


■ij  -"»«■  -^js, ~ J ~>5<r  »:sjpjTjjrw??7rif v^^"^ 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  49 

aized  your  every  action  for  months  past ;  your  very  thonghts 
are  laid  bare  to  me ;  I  knew,  when  I  brought  you  to  Grun- 
tram's  room  to-night,  that  you  would  deliver  yourself  into 
my  hands,  either  by  cheating  or,  as  has  been  the  case,  by 
theft.  I  knew  when  Count  Styrum  left  his  pocket-book  open 
before  you  how  it  would  all  end." 

There  was  an  expression  of  absolute  horror  on  Sorr's  face 
as  he  listened  to  these  words.  That  Repuin's  treatment  of 
him  was  due  to  no  sudden  impulse,  no  outbreak  of  passion, 
but  was  the  result  of  a  cool,  well-considered  scheme,  robbed 
him  of  all  hope,  and  he  stood  before  his  savage  persecutor 
and  judge  an  image  of  despairing  guilt. 

A  cruel  smile  hovered  upon  Repuin's  lips ;  he  was  satisfied 
with  the  effect  his  words  had  produced ;  without  awaiting  a 
reply,  he  continued  :  "You  thought  to  play  with  me,  Herr 
von  Sorr ;  you  were  but  a  tool  in  my  hands, — a  tool  to  be 
thrown  away  whenever  it  pleased  me.  I  should  have  done 
so  long  since,  but  for  certain  considerations.  I  might  have 
unmasked  the  thief  in  the  little  affair  with  that  other  lost  note 
of  Herr  von  Saldem's,  which  I  see  you  remember,  but  the 
firuit  was  not  quite  ripe,  and  I  disdained  to  shake  the  tree.  I 
am  not  fond  of  violent  measures.  I  prepare  them  for  my  use, 
but  I  use  them  only  in  cases  of  absolute  necessity.  So  long 
as  I  hoped  to  win  your  wife  to  listen  to  my  suit,  and  to  pur- 
chase her  husband's  easy  compliance  with  money  and  a  show 
of  friendship,  I  allowed  you  to  go  your  way.  I  thought  you 
wise  enough  to  use  your  influence  with  your  wife  in  my 
favour.  I  paid  you  well  for  such  service ;  but  to-day  she 
has  shown  me  that  it  is  vain  to  attempt  to  proceed  upon  a 
friendly  footing.  She  has  offended,  insulted  me ;  the  conse- 
quences be  upon  her  head.  For  what  has  happened  to-night 
you  may  thank  your  beautifril  wife." 

"  What — what  has  happened  ?"  Sorr  exclaimed,  marking 
with  terror  the  savage  gleam  in  the  Russian's  eyes 
D  6 


50  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Your  wife  repulsed  me  with  scorn  and  Left  me,  when, 
after  the  dance  to-night,  I  whispered  a  few  passionate  words 
in  her  ear ;  and  although  by  agreement  with  you  she  was  en- 
gaged to  me  for  supper,  she  refused  my  escort,  and  took  the 
arm  of  that  fool,  Von  Hahn !" 

"  Impossible  !"  exclaimed  Sorr.  "  When  she  promised  me 
so  faithfully !  She  shall  atone  for  it ;  she  shall  make  you 
ample  reparation !" 

"  If  your  influence  with  your  wife  is  so  powerful,  you  should 
have  exerted  it  earlier,"  Repuin  said,  with  cruel  scorn. 

"  How  was  I  to  know  that  Lucie  would  break  her  word  ? 
But  you  shall  have  satisfaction  ;  I  swear  you  shall.  I  do  not 
deserve  that  you  should  punish  me  thus  for  Lucie's  actions. 
I  am  your  most  devoted  friend ;  ask  of  me  what  you  will,  and 
you  shall  be  obeyed." 

"  I  look  for  no  less  from  you,"  Repuin  replied,  "  though  I 
certainly  do  not  reckon  upon  your  friendship  or  gratitude,  but 
upon  your  fear.  That  you  may  know  clearly  what  you  have 
to  expect,  I  will  tell  you  plainly  what  I  meant,  and  still  mean 
to  do.  Entire  frankness  is  the  best  policy  between  us.  I 
love  your  wife  passionately,  madly ;  I  have  sworn  that  she 
shall  be  mine  at  all  hazards.  Though  I  should  commit  murder 
in  pursuit  of  her,  she  shall  be  mine.  You  must  separate  from 
your  wife.     She  must  be  left  to  me." 

Sorr  fairly  staggered.  He  had,  indeed,  long  known  that 
Count  Repuin  loved  his  beautiful  wife ;  he  had  built  upon 
this  love  his  hopes  of  mollifying  the  Count ;  but  for  this 
infamous  demand  he  was  not  prepared.  He  had  oft«n  made 
shameful  capital  of  his  wife's  exquisite  beauty  when  young 
men  of  fortune  were  to  be  decoyed  to  his  house  and  to  the 
gaming-table  ;  his  dissipated  life  had  long  since  destroyed  in 
him  all  ennobling  aflPection  for  her  ;  he  felt  no  jealousy  upon 
seeing  her  surrounded  by  admirers ;  he  had  even  exulted  when 
the  wealthy  Russian  had  been  evidently  conquered  by  her 


W^^^f!rV''f'^^'~^^^T^'U''^-f'^-^J^f'^p^:^!!^^^~.--'  T*  '^5^ '^^TT^Pr    r  -  I'-Sf^^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  51 

charms.  And  yet  he  was  horrified  by  Repuin's  demand ;  to 
comply  with  it  would  banish  him  from  the  world  in  which  he 
had  hitherto  lived ;  who  would  take  the  slightest  notice  of 
him  if  Lucie  were  no  longer  his  wife  ? 

"  What  you  ask  is  impossible !"  he  gasped,  at  last. 

"Do  not  dare  to  talk  of ' impossible'  to  me  1"  the  Russian 
angrily  exclaimed.  "  I  require  obedience  of  you,  and  if  you 
refuse  I  will  hand  you  over  to  justice.  Count  Styrum,  if  sum- 
moned to  court  as  a  witness,  must  tell  what  he  knows,  how- 
ever unwilling  he  may  be  to  do  so.  Your  fate  in  such  a  case 
is  certain.  Your  only  alternative  would  be  to  send  a  bullet 
through  your  brains  before  you  were  arrested.  If,  how- 
ever, you  consent  to  my  will,  I  will  not  only  be  silent,  and 
engage  that  Count  Styrum  shall  be  silent,  but  I  will  also 
pay  you  ten  thousand  thalers  down.  You  shall  receive 
the  money  on  the  day  when  your  wife  becomes  mine  and 
we  start  for  the  Italian  tour.  You  see  I  am  magnani- 
mous. I  buy  your  wife  of  you  when  I  might  force  you 
to  give  her  up  to  me.  Choose, — your  fate  is  in  your  own 
hands !" 

As  Sorr  looked  up  at  the  Count's  face  filled  with  savage 
resolve,  he  felt  that  all  hope  was  lost.  "  My  wife  will  never 
consent  to  it,"  he  said,  with  hesitation. 

"  That  would  be  unfortunate  for  you ;  but  I  am  sure  she 
will  yield  if  you  tell  her  the  true  state  of  the  case.  Describe 
to  her  her  future  as  the  wife  of  a  convict.  How  will  she 
live  when  her  present  support  is  closely  confined  behind 
bolts  and  bars  ?  Upon  the  other  hand  paint  to  her  the  de- 
lights of  a  Hfe  by  my  side.  There  is  no  wish  that  she  can 
frame  that  it  will  not  be  my  joy  to  gratify.  K  the  fair  Lucie 
is  not  insane,  I  think  that  a  just  representation  of  the  state 
of  aflFairs — and  this  must  be  your  task — will  soon  convince 
her  of  what  choice  she  had  best  make." 

"  You  do  not  know  my  wife,"  Sorr  said,  still  hesitatingly. 


62  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

— he  was  afraid  of  arousing  the  Count's  anger,  and  yet  he 
dared  not  keep  back  the  truth :  "  her  pride  transcends  belief; 
she  would  prefer  the  most  fearful  fate,  even  death  itself,  to  a 
life  with  you." 

"  Exert  all  your  eloquence,  Herr  von  Sorr,  and  I  am  con- 
vinced you  will  succeed.  Remember  the  sword  that  is  sus- 
pended above  your  head,  and  that  you  alone  can  avert  its 
fall.  But  enough  for  the  present ;  you  will  now  return  to  the 
ball-room,  only  to  leave  it  immediately  with  your  wife  upon 
whatever  pretext  you  may  devise, — a  sudden  indisposition  or 
something  of  the  kind.  I  owe  it  to  Count  Styrum  that  you 
spend  not  an  instant  longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary  be- 
neath this  roof.  You  will  inform  your  wife  this  very  night 
of  what  has  been  agreed  upon  between  us.  I  will  wait  no 
longer  than  to-morrow  morning  for  the  result.  Come  to  me 
early  and  let  me  know  what  it  is,  and  I  will  decide  what  is 
next  to  be  done." 

«  Count " 

"  Not  another  word !  Your  part  is  to  obey ;  woe  upon  you 
if  you  fail !  I  shall  expect  you  to-morrow  morning  by  eight 
o'clock  at  the  latest !" 

With  a  haughty,  scarcely  perceptible  nod,  the  Russian  with- 
drew, and  finding  Heinrich's  room — whence  the  gamblers  had 
long  since  departed — empty,  returned  to  the  ball-room. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  53 


CHAPTER    IV. 

After  supper  there  had  not  been  the  amount  of  gayetj 
that  was  wont  to  distinguish  the  President's  balls.  The  young 
people  had  begun  to  dance,  and  the  elderly  folk  to  enjoy  the 
dilights  of  card-room  and  smoking-room,  when  there  was 
whispered  through  the  assemblage  a  rumour  that  interfered 
greatly  with  the  merriment  of  the  evening.  It  was  first  heard 
in  the  ball-room ;  whence  it  originated  no  one  could  exactly 
tell,  but  there  it  was,  flying  from  lip  to  lip.  The  younger  men 
were  seen  to  crowd  around  Gruntram  and  the  officers  from 
Heinrich's  room,  whom  they  plied  with  questions,  and  al- 
Uiough  it  had  been  agreed  that  no  mention  was  to  be  made 
of  the  disagreeable  circumstance  that  had  occurred  there,  the 
dark  rumour  was  not  long  in  taking  shape. 

How  it  came  about  that  first  the  elder  ladies  and  then  the 
younger  portion  of  the  assemblage  learned  it  no  one  could 
tell,  but  it  circulated  everywhere  in  the  ball-room,  and  finally 
penetrated  to  the  smoking-room,  where  the  older  men  left 
their  cigars  and  cards  and  returned  to  the  ball-room  to  ascer 
tain  what  had  happened. 

They  found  the  greatest  excitement  prevailing  there  ;  the 
band  was  still  playing,  it  is  true,  but  there  were  only  a  few 
couples  on  the  floor,  and  these  danced  without  enthusiasm, 
and  apparently  merely  for  form's  sake. 

And  what  was  it  all  about  ?  No  one  could  precisely  say 
Had  Count  Repuin  actually  boxed  Herr  von  Sorr's  ears  in 
Heinrich's  room  and  called  him  a  cheat  and  thitf?  Oh, 
no !  it  was  not  Count  Repuin.  He  had  interfered  when 
Count  Styrum,  who  had  been  robbed  by  Sorr,  would  have 
chastised  the  thief,  and  high  words  had  passed  between 

6* 


i- '  y-K'Sa ' 


54  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

the  two  Counts.  It  would  certainly  end  in  a  duel.  This  was 
the  tale  told  to  AdMe  by  the  wife  of  Major  Gansauge ;  but 
Frau  von  Rose,  who  stood  by,  declared  that  she  had  it  from 
the  best  authority — her  informant  had  begged  that  his  name 
might  not  be  mentioned — that  there  was  not  a  word  of  truth 
in  the  whole  story.  It  all  came  from  Herr  von  Arnim's 
recklessly  accusing  Herr  von  Sorr  of  playing  unfairly.  Poor 
Herr  von  Sorr  was  very  likely  not  so  much  to  blame ;  he 
played  high,  to  be  sure,  but,  good  heavens  I  plenty  of  people 
did  that  nowadays,  and  Arnim  was  probably  irritated  because 
Sorr's  luck  was  better  than  his  own.  He  had  lost  his  temper, 
accused  Sorr  of  cheating ;  Sorr  had  naturally  resented  it ;  a 
duel  was  impending ;  Count  Styrum  was  to  be  Arnim's  second, 
while  Count  Repuin  was  to  act  as  poor  Herr  von  Sorr's  friend. 
It  was  outrageous  that  such  an  affair  should  disturb  the  gayety 
of  one  of  the  dear  President's  charming  balls.  Poor  dear 
Lucie  von  Sorr  was  most  to  be  pitied,  for  every  one  knew 
that  Arnim  was  the  best  shot  in  the  world  and  always  killed 
his  man.  But  there  was  Count  Styrum  just  come  back  to 
the  ball-room ;  he  could  tell  all  about  it,  if  he  only  would. 

Ad^le  listened  with  impatience  to  the  contradictory  state- 
ments of  the  two  ladies.  They  were  both  noted  gossips,  and 
equally  untrustworthy,  but  there  must  be  something  wrong, 
else  how  could  the  report  of  some  kind  of  scene  in  Heinrich's 
room  have  circulated  everywhere,  even  reaching  the  ears  of 
Frau  von  Sorr,  who,  in  some  agitation,  had  begged  her  friend 
to  discover  "the  truth  of  the  matter  for  her  ? 

Heinrich,  to  whom  his  sister  had  first  turned  for  informa 
tion,  had  refused,  somewhat  roughly,  to  give  her  any  satis- 
faction. "  Old  women's  gossip,"  was  his  only  reply,  as  he 
turned  his  back  upon  her.  His  manner  only  served  to  con- 
vince Ad^le  that  there  was  some  truth  in  the  rumours  she  had 
heard,  and  anxiety  for  her  friend  Lucie  induced  her  to  pay 
Bome  heed  to  the  talk  of  the  two  old  ladies  in  hopes  of  learn- 


5g^p!V-  •  '-«-  -^^rwsF 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  56 

ing  some  fact  of  consequence.  Her  only  satisfaction  Iiad  been 
in  hearing  that  her  cousin,  Count  Styrum,  could  give  her 
the  information  she  desired.  It  was  not  easy,  however,  to 
enter  into  conversation  with  him,  for  immediately  upon  his 
return  to  the  ball-room  he  waa^  surrounded  by  eager  ques- 
tioners, each  curious  to  know  all  that  he  could  tell.  In  her 
friend's  interest,  however,  Ad^Ie  was  brave.  She  walked 
towards  the  group  of  gentlemen,  who  instantly  made  way  for 
the  lovely  daughter  of  their  host,  and,  accosting  Styrum,  said, 
"  Cousin  Karl,  let  me  beg  you  to  conduct  me  to  a  seat." 

The  Count  instantly  oflFered  her  his  arm,  and,  while  con- 
ducting her  through  the  room,  quietly  remarked,  "  I  suspect 
why  you  have  sought  me.  You  want  to  know  the  truth 
with  regard  to  the  occurrence  in  Heinrich's  room,  concerning 
which  such  wild  rumours  have  got' abroad  with  inconceivable 
rapidity.     Am  I  not  right  ?" 

"  Yes,  cousin ;  I  implore  you  to  tell  me  the  whole  truth. 
My  poor  Lucie  is  quite  beside  herself  with  anxiety.  Only 
see  how  pale  she  is !  Never  was  there  a  woman  so  self-con- 
trolled as  she.  Look,  she  is  smiling  now,  as  she  must  so  often 
when  her  heart  is  almost  breaking ;  but  she  cannot  quite  con- 
ceal her  torturing  fear  that  something  terrible  has  occurred. 
Take  me  to  a  seat  beside  her,  that  you  may  tell  us  both  what 
has  happened." 

"  That  I  cannot  do,"  the  Coimt  replied,  gravely.  "  I  will 
willingly  tell  you  all  that  I  know,  but  I  cannot  describe  to 
that  most  unfortunate  woman  the  disgraceful  scene  which  I 
was  forced  to  witness.  You  are  her  most  intimate  friend,  and 
yet  I  doubt  if  even  you  will  be  able  to  tell  her  the  whole  truth. 
With  this  I  can  acquaint  only  yourself,  your  father,  and  your 
brother." 

Ad^le  looked  around;  she  noted  the  curious  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  Count  and  herself;  she  knew  that  it  would  create 
gossip  if  she  indulged  in  a  longer  t&te-dr-t^te  with  her  cousiii, 


56  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

if  she  withdrew  with  him  from  the  throng ;  but  she  would 
brave  it  all  for  the  sake  of  her  poor  Lucie.  "  Let  us  go 
out  upon  the  balcony,"  she  said ;  "  there  is  no  one  there  at 
present ;  the  gentlemen  are  all  gathered  about  Heinrich  and 
his  friends." 

It  excited  no  little  observation  in  the  ball-room  when 
Styrum  led  his  cousin  out  upon  the  balcony. 

"  Look,  look !"  the  major's  wife  whispered  to  her  crony, 
Frau  von  Rose.  "  That  is  a  little  too  strong.  I  know  they 
are  relatives  and  all  that,  but  it  is  possible  to  presume  too 
much  upon  such  relationships.  Out  alone  on  the  balcony  with 
him  !     Who  would  ever  have  thought  it  of  the  little  prude  !" 

"  What  are  you  thinking  of,  my  dear  ?"  Frau  von  Rose 
whispered  in  her  turn.  "  AdMe  is  as  good  as  betrothed  to 
the  Assessor  von  Hahn.  I  have  it  from  a  trustworthy 
source." 

"  Indeed !  So  much  the  more  reason  why  she  should  not 
be  out  on  the  balcony  alone  with  her  handsome  cousin.  It  is 
scandalous !  Who  would  have  thought  of  such  things  hap- 
pening here  at  the  President's !  First  this  terrible  Sorr 
story,  and  then  such  conduct  on  Ad^le's  part." 

"  But,  my  dear,  we  advised  her  to  ask  information  of  the 
Count." 

"  We  ? I  beg  pardon ;  I  never  should  have  advised 

any  such  thing ;  and  if  I  remember  rightly,  you  only  men- 
tioned that  the  Count  could  tell  all  about  the  matter  if  he 
would ;  you  never  hinted  a  word  of  advice.  But  of  course 
Frdulein  Ad^le  will  blame  you  if  her  father  scolds  her  for 
such  lehaviour,  and  very  unseemly  behaviour  it  is  for  a 
young  girl  to  talk  to  a  gentleman  alone  in  a  dark  night  upon 
a  balcony." 

"  I  myself  do  not  think  it  exactly  the  thing,  but  there's  no 
great  harm  in  it.  The  balcony  is  as  light  as  day  from  the 
lights  in  this  room.     You  can  see  them  both  quite  plainly. 


"3^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  67 

liook,  Ad^le  is  leaning  against  the  iron  balustrade,  and  the 
Count  is  standing  at  a  respectful  distance  talking  to  her.  He 
is  telling  her  all  about  Herr  von  Sorr,  it  is  plain  to  be  seen ; 
and  at  any  rate,  my  dear,  what  aflPair  is  it  of  ours  if  Frau- 
lein  Ad^le  finds  it  convenient  to  talk  more  confidentially  to 
her  cousin  on  the  balcony  than  she  could  here  in  the  ball- 
room ?  She  will  know  the  particulars  of  the  affair  when  she 
comes  back,  and  we  will  make  her  tell  xis  all  about  it." 

While  the  elderly  ladies  in  the  ball-room  were  thus  un- 
favourably discussing  the  interview  on  the  balcony,  Ad^le 
was  Ustening  with  painful  interest  to  her  cousin's  story. 
She  had  long  known  of  the  evil  reports  circulated  with 
regard  to  Sorr;  they  had  been  matter  of  discussion  in 
the  President's  family  circle,  and  her  father  had  often  de- 
clared that  he  could  not  ask  to  his  house  a  man  whose  repu- 
tation was  so  bad.  It  was  only  in  compliance  with  Adze's 
entreaty  that  Sorr  had  been  invited  to  this  birthday  ball, 
and  this  only  when  Heinrich,  upon  being  consulted,  had  in- 
sisted that  the  silly  stories  concerning  Sorr  were  false,  that 
they  were  all  inventions  of  Lieutenant  von  Amim,  who  hated 
Sorr. 

Ad61e,  too,  had  hitherto  given  little  credit  to  what  was 
said  of  Sorr ;  she  knew  that  her  Mend  led  a  very  unhappy 
life  with  her  husband,  that  his  habits  were  extremely  dissi- 
pated, and  that  he  neglected  his  wife  shamefully,  but  that  he 
had  ever  been  engaged  in  any  dishonourable  transaction  she 
did  not  believe.  Nevertheless,  at  times,  when  Lucie  seemed 
oppressed  with  a  sadness  which  no  words  of  hers  could  re- 
lieve or  lighten,  doubts  had  occurred  to  her ;  doubts  which, 
however,  since  Lucie  never  accused  her  husband,  nor  e^ven 
alluded  to  him,  the  young  girl  had  resolutely  banished,  de- 
fending Sorr  against  her  father's  suspicions,  and  treating  aU 
evil  rumour  concerning  him  as  idle  gossip. 

Now  she  knew  the  truth ;  and  her  heart  seemed  to  stand 
o* 


"wrz'^.w 


58  CASTLE  EOHENWALD. 

dtiJi  as  she  learned  that  all  that  had  been  hitherto  whispered 
of  evil  against  Sorr  was  exceeded  by  the  facts, — her  Lucie's 
husband  was  a  detected  thief! 

"  My  poor,  poor  Lucie !"  she  said,  with  infinite  sadness, 
when  Styruni  had  finished  his  narrative.  "  What  will  be 
done  now  ?    What  does  that  dreadful  Repuin  mean  to  do  ?" 

"  I  am  not  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  relations  which  have 
existed  hitherto  between  Sorr  and  Count  Repuin  to  answer 
that  question,"  Styrum  replied,  "  but  I  must  confess  that  my 
first  thought  was  that  Repuin  had  brought  about  this  catas- 
trophe intentionally.  I  may  do  the  Count  injustice,  for  he 
acted  as  any  man  of  honour  would  have  done  in  his  place. 
He  could  not  suppress  his  knowledge  of  Sorr's  theft,  but  he 
acquainted  me  with  it  with  great  tact,  leaving  it  to  me  to 
spare  the  thief  or  to  bring  him  to  justice,  and  he  acquiesced 
in  my  decision,  that  out  of  consideration  for  your  father  the 
fellow  must  be  let  alone.  And  no  one  can  blame  him  for 
wishing  to  adjust  without  my  assistance  his  own  relations 
with  Sorr,  who  has  hitherto  passed  in  society  for  his  friend. 
He  has  only  done  his  duty,  and  that  in  the  most  honourable 
manner.  All  this  I  admit,  and  yet  I  cannot  help  suspecting 
that  he  acted  in  accordance  with  a  deep-laid  scheme  and  in 
furtherance  of  his  own  evil  designs.  I  can  never  forget  the 
look  the  man  cast  upon  Frau  von  Sorr  when  you  took  your 
friend's  part  so  bravely,  and  the  memory  of  it  fills  me  with 
distrust  of  him.  Therefore  I  had  intended  to  tell  you  au9 
soon  as  possible  all  that  happened,  and  am  especially  grateftd 
to  you  for  this  opportunity  to  do  so,  since  you  are  in  a  posi- 
tion to  judge  whether  any  danger  threatens  your  friend.  She 
certainly  must  have  told  you  much  that  will  enable  you  to 
know  this." 

"  Oh,  if  she  only  had  !"  said  Ad^le.  "  Unfortunately,  it 
is  not  so.  I  love  Lucie  like  a  sister.  When  we  were  at 
Bchool    together   she    confided    everything,    even   her   very 


^^i^'pg^re- -.^  \  s'^'T'^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  59 


thdughts,  to  me :  we  had  no  secrets  from  each  other ;  but  I 
no  longer  possess  her  confidence.  I  know  she  loves  me  as 
well  as  ever,  and  if  she  could  confide  in  any  one,  she  would 
confide  in  me  and  let  me  share  and  soothe  her  sorrow.  There- 
fore I  cannot  but  hope  for  a  return  of  the  old  intimacy. 
After  her  marriage  I  had  not  seen  her  for  a  long  time,  and 
our  correspondence  had  flagged,  when  something  more  than  a 
year  ago  she  suddenly  came  here  with  her  husband  to  live. 
Her  first  visit  was  to  me,  and  I  was  indescribably  happy  to  see 
her  once  more.  She  showed  me  all  her  old  affection,  but  not 
her  old  confidence.  I  soon  perceived  that  she  was  very  un- 
happy,— she  could  not  prevent  my  seeing  that, — ^but  to  all  my 
questions  she  returned  evasive  answers,  and  I  only  judged 
from  common  report  that  her  marriage  was  an  unhappy  one , 
she  has  never  spoken  of  it  to  me.  And  of  her  relations  with 
Count  Repuin  I  know  only  what  my  own  observation  has 
taught  me.  He  has  been  for  months  Sorr's  most  intimate 
friend  ;  they  seemed  inseparable.  Sorr  lives  very  quietly,  he 
never  gives  large  parties,  but  he  frequently  entertains  a  few 
friends,  among  whom,  Heinrich  has  told  me,  Hepuin  is  always 
to  be  found.  He  haa  paid  assiduous  court  to  my  poor  Lucie, 
never  heeding  the  almost  offensive  coldness  of  her  manner  to 
him.  I  know  how  abhorrent  his  attentions  are  to  her,  al 
though  she  has  never  mentioned  him  to  me :  I  can  read  it  in 
her  eyes.  This  is  all  I  know ;  you  were  a  witness  of  the 
odious  scene  at  supper  to-night,  it  aroused  in  you  the  sus- 
picion that  troubles  me  also.  My  poor,  dear  Lucie  1  I  am  in 
despair  at  not  knowing  how  to  advise  or  assist  her.  I  entreat 
you,  dear  Karl,  to  help  me ;  my  Lucie  deserves  to  find  faith- 
ftil  friends  in  her  terrible  misery.  Tell  me,  what  will  happen, 
— what  can  we  do  ?" 

As  she  spoke,  Ad61e  looked  up  at  her  cousin,  her  large, 
dark  eyes  glowing  with  entreaty  and  filled  with  tears.  How 
beautifril  her  eyes  were  I — almost  more  beautiful  now  when 


60  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

their  brilliancy  was  dimmed  by  those  "  kindly  drops"  than 
when  sparkling  with  youthftil  gayety. 

Count  Styrum  was  wonderfully  impressed, — Ad^le's  cordial 
confidence  enchanted  him.  Frau  von  Sorr  had  already  in- 
terested him ;  he  was  now  resolved  to  do  everything  in  his 
power  to  aid  her  in  her  misery.  Adele's  friend  could  not 
be  the  accomplice  of  her  unworthy  husband. 

But  what  could  he  do?  He  pondered  this  question  in 
vain.  "What  will  happen?"  To  this  he  could  make  no 
reply ;  he  could  not  imagine  what  Repuin  contemplated 
doing. 

"  You  do  not  reply,  Karl  ?"  AdMe  asked.  "  Will  you  not 
help  me  to  protect  my  poor  Lucie  from  that  horrible  Count 
Repuin,  to  stand  by  her  in  her  misery  ?" 

"  With  all  my  heart  I  will,  my  dear  Ad^le,"  he  replied, 
taking  her  hand  and  kissing  it  so  fervently  that  the  girl 
withdrew  it  with  a  blush. 

"  I  accept  your  promise,"  she  said ;  "  we  are  now  allies,  and 
I  am  convinced  that  you  will  be  a  help  indeed.  How  we 
can  aid  my  friend  I  do  not  yet  know,  but  I  am  sure  that  in 
her  great  need  she  will  accord  me  her  fiill  confidence,  and 
appeal  to  me  for  help ;  then,  Karl,  I  will  somjuon  you  and 
remind  you  of  your  promise." 

"  And  I  will  come.  Ask  of  me  what  you  will,  you  shall 
not  ask  in  vain." 

"  I  thank  you  from  my  soul ;  you  inspire  me  with  courage 
and  hope.  But  look,  cousin,  there  comes  Repuin,  followed 
by  Sorr.  Take  me  to  Lucie  quickly, — I  cannot  leave  her 
alone !" 

Repuin,  as  he  entered  the  ball-room,  looked  around  for 
Heinrich  von  Gruntram.  To  reach  him  he  was  obliged  to 
traverse  the  entire  length  of  the  room,  and  he  waited  several 
minutes  to  do  this,  since  he  did  not  wish  to  disturb  the 
dancers.     He  paused  in  the  doorway  and  let  Sorr  pass  him, 


."S^fi^PllWi  «'W>!li;^™'"!_iV-f?*'*^'W';'^^»^8a^,  l^EfyBBS>y!-...JKggy^M||,^.J  gF  -      -      TfS^ 


CASTLE  EOHENWALD.  61 

aaying  as  he  did  so,  "  Good-night,  my  dear  fellow,"  in  a  tone 
evidently  intended  to  be  heard  by  all  aboat  him.  "  I  hope," 
he  added,  "  that  your  terrible  headache  will  be  gone  by  to- 
morrow. Indeed,  you  ought  to  consult  a  physician.  Pray 
give  my  regards  to  your  wife." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  Sorr  with  a  friendly  nod,  and 
then,  turning  to  Assessor  von  Hahn,  he  forestalled  the  ques- 
tion which  that  worthy  was  about  to  address  to  him,  by  say- 
ing, "  I  am  sorry  for  poor  Sorr ;  he  seems  to  me  in  a  very  bad 
way.  See,  Herr  von  Hahn,  how  pale  he  is !  He  only  drank 
a  couple  of  glasses  of  champagne,  and  they  have  given  him 
a  racking  headache.'' 

"  Is  his  present  ghastly  appearance  entirely  the  effect  of 
champagne?"  the  Assessor  asked,  with  a  slight  laugh. 

"  What  else  could  it  be  ?  Do  you  think  he  can  be 
seriously  ill  ?    I  trust  not." 

"  It  seems,  Count,  that  your  great  kindness  of  heart 
prompts  you  to  endeavour  to  hush  up  this  ugly  story.  I 
admire  your  amiability.  I  am  naturally  kind-hearted  myself. 
I  make  no  boast  of  it, — ^the  gifts  of  nature  are  variously 
distributed ;  but  it  enables  me  to  understand  you.  Count,  and 
it  makes  it  all  the  more  painM  for  me  to  tell  you  that  you 
never  will  succeed  in  crushing  this  scandal, — nothing  else  if 
talked  of  throughout  the  room.  See  how  every  one  looks  at 
Sorr,  how  his  most  intimate  acquaintances  avoid  him,  tam- 
ing away  as  he  passes  them.  Your  kindness  can  avail  that 
man  nothing.  Count;  he  is  lost,  branded,  and  he  knows  it; 
a  guilty  conscience  speaks  in  every  feature  of  his  face." 

Kepuin  had  observed  the  same  thing,  and  exulted  to  see 
the  contempt  with  which  Sorr  was  treated  by  those  of  his 
acquaintance  whom  he  was  obliged  to  pass  in  gaining  his 
wife's  side.  What  had  taken  place  in  Heinrich's  room 
was  already  known  here,  then.  The  young  officers  had 
blabbed ;  they  could  not  have  told  all,  for  they  did  not  know 


-T*'iWWl!fS^P<?!i 


62  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

all,  but  enough  had  been  said  to  affect  greatly  Sorr's  repu- 
tation. 

This  was  just  what  he  had  intended,  that  Heinrich  and 
his  companions  should  suspect  Sorr's  guilt  without  being 
sure  of  it.  He  had  hoped  to  find  the  ball-room  filled  with 
dark  rumours,  and  his  wishes  were  gratified.  Sorr  would  now 
be  convinced  that  it  needed  but  a  word  from  Repuin  to  an- 
nihilate him,  and  that  his  only  hope  for  the  future  lay  in 
implicit  obedience  to  the  Russian's  commands. 

He,  however,  feigned  to  be  greatly  amazed.  "  I  do  not 
understand  you,  Herr  von  Hahn,"  he  said.  "  What  ugly 
story  is  it  that  my  discretion  is  to  crusn  ?  Why  should  poor 
Sorr  have  a  guilty  conscience  in  addition  to  a  bad  headache  ? 
What  has  he  done  ?" 

"  That  you  know  best,  Count." 

"  I  am  but  a  poor  hand  at  guessing  riddles,  and  must  beg 
you  not  to  propound  them  to  me,  but  to  tell  me  plainly  what 
has  happened.  I  must  request  an  explanation  in  the  interest 
of  my  friend  Sorr." 

The  Assessor  looked  at  the  Count  with  a  very  puzzled  air. 
He  really  did  not  know  what  to  think.  Arnim  had  given 
him  a  succinct  account  of  what  had  taken  place  in  Heinrich's 
study,  and  had  added  his  opinion  that  "  Sorr  was  now  done 
for,"  since  Repuin  had  doubtless  detected  him  in  cheating  at 
the  game.  Amim's  trustworthiness  was  not  to  be  questioned, 
but  how  did  his  story  tally  with  the  Count's  behaviour? 
Surely  Repuin  would  not  call  a  detected  cheat  his  friend  ? 

The  Assessor  did  not  know  what  to  believe  ;  he  was  in  a 
very  disagreeable  position.  The  only  way  out  of  it  for  him 
was  to  tell  the  Count  what  reports  were  current  in  the  ball- 
room, and  thus  justify  his  over-hasty  expressions. 

"  A  most  annoying  misunderstanding,"  was  the  Russian's 
comment  upon  his  communication.  "  I  cannot,  Herr  von 
Hahn,  explain  the  occurrence  to  you,  since  it  concerns  a  pri- 


':?Sli^'^^!'^m^^^i^^li!m^'>^'!S^^3)l^'^'^^1t!«^^^'m^^^^^srP"'^^:;^^    f-^^^I'Mif.    ^-j  -— ■^s!'?^,«j,iijji 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  63 

Tate  matter  of  Count  Stymm's,  to  whom  I  liave  promised 
silence,  but  this  rumour  must  be  contradicted.  Pray  come 
with  me,  we  will  make  use  of  this  pause  in  the  dance  to  seek 
out  Herr  Heinrich  von  Gruntram,  and  I  will  explain  matters 
as  far  as  I  may  in  his  presence." 

Kepuin  then  walked  directly  across  the  room  to  Heinrich, 
the  Assessor  following  him,  joined  by  several  of  the  gentle- 
men, who  guessed  Repuin's  intention  and  were  curious  to 
know  more  of  the  scene  in  Heinrich's  study.  Thus  the 
Russian  was  surrounded  by  quite  an  audience  when  he 
reached  Heinrich,  who  was  standing  near  the  door  of  the 
balcony  talking  earnestly  with  Amim  and  Herr  von  Saldem. 

Heinrich  replied  but  coldly  to  the  Count's  friendly  address. 
He  was  very  indignant  that  Repuin  should  have  been  the 
cause  of  so  unpleasant  a  scandal  beneath  his  father's  roof 
upon  this  special  evening ;  a  scandal  that  had  called  forth  a 
decided  rebuke  from  the  President  with  regard  to  the  gam- 
ing in  his  son's  apartment.  He  was  also  annoyed  at  the 
indiscretion  that  had  given  rise  to  such  disagreeable  rumours, 
and  he  visited  this  annoyance  upon  the  Count,  although  he 
had  but  just  entered  the  room  and  could  not  possibly  have 
originated  any  of  them. 

Repuin  took  no  notice  of  his  cool  reception.  "  I  am  sorry 
to  disturb  you,  Herr  von  Guntram,"  he  said,  in  a  loud  voice, 
"  but  I  am  forced  to  do  so  by  a  very  unfortunate  misunder- 
standing, which  appears  to  be  wide-spread.  It  concerns  a 
conversation  which  took  place  between  your  cousin,  Count 
Styrum,  Herr  von  Sorr,  and  myself.  May  I  beg  you  to  ask 
Count  Styrum  to  step  here  for  one  moment,  that  I  may  have 
his  ratification  of  a  declaration  which  I  wish  to  make  in  your 
presence  ?" 

Heinrich  was  surprised  at  the  conciliatory  tone  adopted 
by  the  Russian,  and  he  could  not  refrise  to  accede  to  his 
request.     He  beckoned  to  Count  Styrum,  who  had  returned 


.j--«T.',.,..-^i,^<jT,,j5^,^j^^^sp^ 


64  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

from  conducting  Ad«^le  to  Frau  von  Sorr,  and  was  standiijg 
near  the  balcony  quietly  surveying  the  assemblage. 

"  I  have  to  my  regret  learned  from  Herr  von  Hahn."  Rep- 
uin  began  when  Count  Styrum  had  drawn  near,  "  that  the 
aforesaid  conversation  between  the  Count,  Herr  von  Sorr,  and 
myself  has  given  rise  to  various  groundless  reports,  which  I 
feel  it  my  duty  to  contradict,  in  order  that  the  serenity  of  this 
charming  entertainment  may  not  be  disturbed  by  any  silly 
gassip.  I  therefore  declare,  and  beg  all  the  gentlemen  who 
hear  me  to  take  notice  of  what  I  Say,  that  the  conversation 
betiveen  Count  Styrum,  Herr  von  Sorr,  and  myself,  which  has 
given  rise  to  all  this  talk,  related  solely  to  private  personal 
mattt-rs,  and  ended,  I  trust,  entirely  to  Count  Styrum's  satis- 
faction, so  that  we  agreed  to  forget  the  whole  aifair,  and  not 
to  speak  of  it  again.  I  beg  Count  Styrum  kindly  to  confirm 
this  statement." 

Styrum  did  not  immediately  reply.  Could  he  confirm  Rep- 
uin's  words?  They  contained  no  falsehood,  and  yet  they 
were  calculated  to  deceive  the  hearers,  who  would  infer  from 
them  that  the  question  was  of  a  personal  disagreement,  which, 
after  a  friendly  adjustment,  was  to  be  forgotten.  Did  they  not 
imply  a  justification  of  Sorr  which  Styrum  neither  could  nor 
would  ratify?  What  was  Repuin's  motive  in  thus  gently 
treating  the  thief  whom  so  short  a  time  before  he  had  seemed 
unwilling  to  allow  to  escape  ? 

"  May  I  ask  for  the  confirmation  of  my  words,  Count  ?" 
Repuin  asked  again,  on  noticing  Styrum's  hesitation.  "  Have 
T  not  spoken  truly  ?" 

"  What  you  have  said  is  true,"  said  Styrum,  who  could 
hesitate  no  longer,  "  but  it  might  give  rise  to  a  further  mis- 
understanding, which  is  under  all  circumstances  to  be  avoided. 
I  therefore  add  that  there  was  no  question  of  any  quarrel." 

"  I  did  not  mean  to  imply  that  there  was,  and  state  ex- 
pressly that  there  was  no  talk  of  a  quarrel  between  Count 


'•'«S^BS!««P^^B!af^?''s^^ri;  •»,  ,'  ^^?^ '  '"*^T=!*"H.*f(ii'J'SJl5«^Wi#l^^^?2'»        '"^^^ip^^w^  ^     **^'?*'^^«^^9??1 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  65 

Styrum  and  Herr  von  Sorr.     I  believe  this  affair  may  now 
be  considered  as  dismissed." 

"  Not  quite,  Count,"  Lieutenant  von  Amim  here  interposed. 
"  The  affair  has  unfortunately  acquired  such  publicity  that  it 
must  be  pursued  a  little  farther.  If  you  desire  to  re-estab- 
lish as  a  man  of  honour  Herr  von  Sorr,  whom  in  the  presence 
of  many  witnesses  you  treated  as  no  gentleman  should  be 
treated  by  another,  you  must  do  it  rather  more  formally. 
Your  conduct  towards  Herr  von  Sorr  exposed  him  to  sus- 
picions which  nothing  that  either  Count  Styrum  or  you  have 
said  suffices  to  allay.  I  have  no  desire,  Count,  to  meddle  in 
your  private  affairs ;  I  do  not  care  to  know  what  was  the 
nature  of  the  conversation  to  which  you  summoned  Herr 
von  Sorr  after  so  unceremonious  a  fashion.  I  shall  be  quite 
content — so  shall  we  all^if  you  and  Count  Styrum  will  simply 
declare  *  We  consider  Herr  von  Sorr  a  man  of  honour.'  Let 
me  beg  you  to  make  this  declaration,  Count  Styrum." 

"  I  do  not  feel  justified  in  making  such  a  declaration," 
Styrum  replied. 

"  Nor  do  I,"  Repuin  added,  "  since  I  do  not  admit  that  any 
one  has  a  right  to  demand  of  me  a  statement  as  to  the  honour 
of  a  gentleman." 

"  Your  opinion  is  made  sufficiently  plain  by  your  refusal," 
Amim  said,  very  gravely.  Then,  turning  to  Heinrich  von 
Gruntram,  he  added,  "  I  think,  Guntram,  that  you  now  owe 
it  to  yourself,  to  your  family,  and  to  all  of  us  to  require  this 
Herr  von  Sorr  to  leave  a  society  where  there  is  no  place  for 
him." 

"  I  protest  against  such  a  construction  of  my  words  I" 
exclaimed  Repuin,  with  a  dark  glance  at  the  lieutenant. 

"No  quarrelling,  gentlemen,  let  me  entreat,"  Heinrich 

von   Q-untram   interposed.      "  We   have   had   enough,  and 

more  than  enough,  annoyance   for   to-night.      Have   some 

regard  for  my  father  and  my  sister,  Amim,  and  recall  your 

B  6* 


'"'^'ST^/^^'fS'*^'."  W 


66  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

demand,  compliance  with  which  would  only  provoke  a  fresh 
scandal." 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  farther  discussion,"  said  Repuin. 
"  Herr  and  Frau  von  Sorr  are  just  leaving  the  room.  I  ad- 
vised Sorr  to  go  ,  he  complained  of  a  headache." 

"  A  very  prudent  proceeding  on  Herr  von  Sorr's  part," 
sneered  Arnim.  "  He  relieves  our  friend  Guntram  of  a 
disagreeable  duty.  For  the  present  the  matter  is  settled 
You  must  decide  for  yourself,  Guntram,  how  to  act  in  future 
with  regard  to  this  precious  Herr  von  Sorr.  Do  not,  gentle- 
men, allow  this  miserable  affair  to  disturb  our  enjoyment 
any  longer.  The  music  is  just  beginning ;  let  us  at  least 
have  one  more  dance." 

To  this  all  were  agreed,  even  Count  Repuin,  who  was  not 
sorry  to  be  relieved  from  duty  as  Sorr's  champion.  Every- 
thing was  taking  the  course  he  desired ;  his  victim  could  no 
longer  frequent  this  society ;  he  was  delivered  over  into  the 
hands  of  his  enemy. 

Herr  and  Frau  von  Sorr  had  indeed  left  the  ball-room 
before  Arnim's  last  words.  Their  suburban  dwelling  was  not 
far  from  the  President's,  it  took  scarcely  a  quarter  of  an  houi 
to  drive  thither,  but  to  Lucie  the  time  appeared  an  eternity. 

She  leaned  back  among  the  cushions,  whilst  her  husband 
looked  out  of  the  carriage  window.  Not  a  word  did  he  ad- 
dress to  his  wife  during  the  drive,  nor  did  she  once  break  the 
silence.  She  did  not  wish  to  question  him  to  provoke  an 
explanation,  she  would  fain  have  avoided  any  such  altogether. 
She  knew  nothing  decided  with  regard  to  what  had  occurred 
dt  the  President's.  A  few  remarks,  not  intended  for  her  ear, 
had  hinted  at  a  most  disagreeable  scene,  in  which  her  hus- 
band had  been  implicated,  and  in  her  anxiety  she  had  ap- 
plied to  Adele  for  information.  Her  friend,  however,  had 
no  time  to  impart  this,  for  scarcely  had  Count  Styrum  con- 
ducted her  to  Lucie  when  Sorr  made  his  appearance,  stating 


*"*^^r«'TY^3rs^*^r^^  *^'*'^^^^  -  ^ '  ^H^Mjgy^'^n 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  ffl 

that  lie  was  not  well,  and  tliat  he  wished  to  leave  immediately, 
without  any  formal  adieux. 

A  few  words  only  Ad^le  had  contrired  to  whisper  into  her 
friend's  ear,  few  but  significant.  "  Courage,  dearest  Lucie  ; 
remember,  I  am  your  devoted  friend;  trust  me;  whatever 
happens,  I  will  stand  by  you." 

What  did  these  words  mean  ?  Lucie  ran  over  in  her  mind 
the  events  of  the  evening,  but  found  no  explanation  of  them. 
Adfile  could  not  know  how  insulting  had  been  Count  Repuin's 
presumption,  or  how  sharply  he  had  been  reproved.  But  if 
she  did  not  know,  she  perhaps  suspected  it,  and  therefore  had 
her  championship  of  her  friend  been  so  eager. 

Had  the  Count  perhaps  had  a  quarrel  with  her  husband  ? 
They  had  returned  to  the  ball-room  together,  the  Count  with  hia 
head  carried  haughtily,  Sorr,  on  the  contrary,  with  an  air  that 
seemed  to  Lucie  to  express  profound  despair.  Just  so  pale  and 
downcast  had  he  looked  on  the  day  when  he  told  her  that 
the  last  remnant  of  his  property  had  been  lost  at  the  gaming- 
table, and  that  not  his  money  only,  but  also  his  honour  would 
be  sacrificed  if  he  could  not  quickly  find  means  to  pay  his 
gambling  debts.  He  threatened  to  put  a  bullet  through  his 
head  if  Lucie  did  not  sign  a  power  of  attorney  that  placed 
her  maternal  inheritance,  her  whole  fortune,  at  his  disposal 
He  had  promised  then  never  to  play  again,  and  to  alter  his 
whole  manner  of  life. 

Lucie  had  long  known  that  he  had  broken  his  word,  that  he 
had  played  away  her  property  also,  and  she  only  called  this 
scene  to  mind  now  because  he  had  the  same  air  of  utter  de- 
spair that  had  characterized  him  on  this  evening  when  he  had 
followed  Repuin  into  the  ball-room. 

What  had  happened  ?  Should  she  ask  him  ?  No  1  Whither 
could  such  questions  lead  ?  He  had  long  ceased  to  tell  her  the 
truth ;  and  even  were  he  to  do  so,  she  might  well  wish  it  untold. 
Even  to  guess  at  the  dark  ways  by  which  he  maintained  hin 


■ifiimy^j^^^!^ 


68  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

position  in  society  was  misery  enough.  Why  should  she  wish 
to  know  the  terrible  truth  ?  He  must  have  been  playing 
again ;  Repuin  had  probably  lost,  and  some  quarrel  had  en- 
sued, which No,  she  would  pursue  such  thoughts  no 

further.  She  trembled  to  think  that  her  husband  might  have 
revelations  to  make  to  her  that  would  rob  her  of  the  last 
remnant  of  her  peace  of  mind. 

The  carriage  stopped  ;  Sorr  got  out,  and,  without  troubling 
himself  about  his  wife,  \inlocked  the  door  and  entered  the 
house.  She  followed  him,  and  they  ascended  the  stairs  in 
silence.  In  the  anteroom  he  lighted  the  two  candles  left  in 
readiness  for  them.  "When  they  returned  from  an  evening 
entertainment  it  was  his  custom,  after  lighting  the  candles, 
to  retire  to  his  room  with  a  curt  "  good-night,"  but  this  he 
did  not  do.  "  I  have  something  to  say  to  you,"  he  said, 
handing  Lucie  one  of  the  candles.  "  I  will  go  with  you  into 
the  drawing-room." 

She  made  no  reply ;  her  hand  trembled  as  she  took  the 
light.  She  had  a  foreboding  that  a  crisis  in  her  destiny  was 
at  hand  ;  that  the  communication  which  Sorr  was  about  to 
make  to  her  would  be  momentous  both  for  her  and  for  him. 

He  went  first.  In  the  drawing-room  he  placed  the  light 
upon  the  table,  and  then  sank  upon  the  sofa  as  if  exhausted. 
He  sat  for  a  long  time  in  silence,  his  head  resting  on  his 
hand,  his  looks  bent  on  the  ground. 

Lucie  did  not  disturb  him,  but  remained  standing  by  the 
table  in  front  of  the  sofa,  silently  watching  him,  marking 
the  convulsive  twitching  of  his  lips,  the  terrible  change  in 
his  countenance.     She  saw  the  struggle  going  on  within  him. 

At  last  he  seemed  to  have  come  to  a  determination.  He 
looked  up,  but  when  he  saw  Lucie's  dark  eyes  fixed  search- 
ingly  upon  him  he  instantly  averted  his  own.  He  sprang  up 
from  the  sofa  and  paced  the  room  with  hurried,  irregular 
ftrides,  pausing  at  last  before  his  wife.     He  tried  to  look  at 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  69 

hir,  but  lie  could  not  meet  her  eye.  It  waa  inexpressibly 
difiBcult  to  speak  the  first  word.  He  longed  to  have  her 
question  him,  that  he  might  reply,  but  Lucie  was  silent.  He 
felt  her  keen  glance  watching  his  every  movement,  and  at  last 
he  could  endure  it  no  longer. 

This  must  end, — this  terrible  silence  was  not  to  be  borne ; 
he  must  break  it  by  some  word,  no  matter  what.  "  I  am 
ruined  !"  he  said. 

"  I  know  it ;  we  have  been  so  for  a  long  while,"  waa  Lucie's 
reply,  given  with  forced  calmness. 

"  You  deceive  yourself.  I  am  far  worse  off  than  you  think. 
I  have  lost  all, — everything !  More  than  we  ever  possessed ! 
I  am  overwhelmed  with  debt ;  we  are  on  the  brink  of  an 
abyss  from  which  there  is  but  one  means  of  escape." 

"  We  should  have  adopted  it  long  since." 

Sorr  looked  up  in  astonishment.  "  What  do  you  mean  ?" 
he  asked. 

"  That  we  must  at  last  resign  the  life  we  have  led  hitherto. 
I  have  often,  but  always  in  vain,  begged  you  to  do  so.  Now 
necessity  will  force  you  to  it,  and  if  you  really  see  this  at  last 
I  shall  bless  this  hour.  By  honest  labour  we  can  regain  what 
we  have  lost.  We  have  influential  friends,  by  whose  aid  we 
can  easily  begin  life  anew  in  another  city.  You  can  procure 
some  official  position,  and  I  wUl  give  lessons  in  music  and 
drawing,  or  in  French  and  English.  With  courage  and  deter- 
mination we  can  easily  achieve  a  secure  independence." 

"  You  are  mad !" 

This  was  all  the  reply  that  Sorr  had  for  Lucie's  words. 
Then  he  laughed  aloud.  "  It  is  incredible,"  he  said,  more  to 
himself  than  to  her,  "  the  wild  ideas  that  will  fill  a  woman's 
brain !  An  official  post  with  a  few  hundred  thalers  of  salary 
— too  much  to  starve  upon,  too  little  to  procure  enough  to 
eat !  Tiresome  work,  from  morning  until  night,  and  hectored 
by  a  superior  officer,  to  whom  one  must  cringe.    Kegarded 


-:"*?F!P^!P:'- 


JO  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

askance  by  gentlemen.  A  pretty  position !  No ,  rather  a 
bullet  through  my  brains  and  the  whole  mummery  at  an  end. 
No  need  to  waste  a  word  upon  such  nonsense.  If  I  cannot 
live  aa  I  have  been  accustomed  to  live,  I  had  rather  not  live  at 
all.  This  is  not  the  means  of  escape  which  I  have  to  propose 
to  you."  He  paused  a  moment ;  it  was  diflBcult  to  say  what 
he  had  to,  but  he  could  delay  no  longer,  and  he  continued, 
"  We  must  separate,  Lucie  !" 

*'  You  forget  that  this  is  impossible,"  Lucie  replied,  forcing 
herself  to  speak  calmly  ;  "a  Catholic  marriage  cannot  be  dis- 
solved, or  ours  would  have  been  so  long  ago." 

"  Nonsense  !  I  am  not  talking  of  a  divorce,  which  is  of 
course  impossible,  but  of  a  separation.  I  have  a  proposal  to 
make  to  you  ;  I  know  that  at  first  it  will  seem  odious  to  you ; 
I  do  not  like  it  myself,  but  upon  calm  reflection  you  will  see 
that  in  it  lies  our  only  means  of  salvation.  You  must  first 
know  how  matters  stand  with  me,  and  thb  I  will  tell  you  in 
as  few  words  as  possible.  Our  need  is  such  that  in  my  de- 
spair I  was  induced  to — to — it  must  out,  there  is  no  help  for 
it— Count  Styrum's  pocket-book  lay  open  before  me,  and  I 
took  from  it  a  hundred-thaler  note." 

Lucie  recoiled  ;  incapable  of  uttering  a  word,  she  stared  at 
her  husband.  A  thief  I  No ;  for  this  she  had  not  been  pre- 
pared; this  exceeded  her  worst  forebodings, — a  thief!  And 
he  could  confess  his  shameful  deed  thus  with  cynical  frank- 
ness ;  he  did  not  even  repent  it ;  he  was  not  crushed  and 
despairing.  Had  he  not  just  expressed  his  contempt  for 
honest  labour?  A  thief!  And  to  this  man  she  was  bound 
by  an  indissoluble  tie ! 

Sorr  expected  no  answer ;  he  had  now  gained  the  courage 
to  speak ;  after  the  confession  of  the  theft  nothing  was  diffi- 
cult, and  he  continued,  "  Well,  yes,  I  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  ;  the  pocketrbook  lay  open  before  me ;  the  oppor- 
tunity was  too  tempting.     I  thought  no  one  saw  me,  but  1 


^<3fiR!r.-!^;f5'I.fS^?!Wf?'?.'''- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  71 

wafi  wrong ;  Repuin  saw  it  all.  Our  fate  lies  in  his  hand ; 
if  he  speaks  I  shall  be  condemned  as  a  thief,  and  you  will 
share  my  dishonour.  The  wife  of  the  thief  who  has  escaped 
punishment  only  by  voluntary  death  is  an  outcaat  from  so- 
ciety. Your  plan  of  honest  labour  would  prove  futile,  for 
none  would  intrust  their  children's  instruction  to  a  woman 
at  whom  the  world  points  the  finger  of  scorn.  You  will  sink 
into  utter  misery ;  that  will  be  your  fate,  as  mine  will  be  to 
die  by  my  own  hand,  if  you  refuse  to  accede  to  the  proposal 
in  which  alone  lies  safety  for  us.  It  is  in  your  power,"  the 
wretch  continued,  speaking  rapidly  and  in  a  firmer  tone,  "  to 
secure  yourself  a  gay  and  joyous  existence,  free  from  care, 
and  provided  with  every  luxury  that  wealth  can  give,  while 
you  keep  your  conscience  clear  of  the  guilt  of  my  death,  for 
it  will  be  your  act  that  drives  me  to  suicide  if  you  refrise  to 
accede  to  my  proposal." 

"  And  what  do  you  ask  of  me  ?"  Lucie  inquired,  in  a  low 
monotone. 

"  Count  Repuin,"  Sorr  began  again,  "  is  madly  in  love  with 
you.  You  have  hitherto  treated  him  very  badly,  although 
you  owed  it  to  me  to  smile  upon  him,  as  I  have  often  be^ed 
you  to  do.  His  love,  however,  has  been  only  increased  by 
your  reserve.  He  is  ready  to  make  any  sacrifice  for  you  now. 
But  if  he  is  again  repulsed  he  is  resolved  upon  revenge ;  he 
will  then  be  our  deadly  foe ;  he  will  ruin  both  you  and 
me.  You  see  what  is  before  us.  If,  however,  you  consent 
to  our  separation.  Count  Repuin  will  take  you  to  Italy,  or 
whithersoever  you  wish  to  go.  He  will  load  you  with  the 
costliest  gifts,  every  wish  that  you  can  frame  will  be  ftdfilled. 
You  will  insure  yourself  a  most  brilliant  position  and  save 
my  life.     It  would  be  worse  than  madness  to  say  '  no.'  " 

Lucie's  gaze  was  bent  upon  the  ground.  When  her  hus- 
band first  began  to  speak  such  shameful  words,  she  thou/^ht 
she  could  not  endure  life  until  he  should  have  ended,  but  she 


•■■W-gff?*!?-/ 


72  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Bummoned  up  all  her  strength  of  mind  and  succeeded  in  con 
quering  the  terrible  pain  that  tortured  her ;  she  preserved  an 
outward  calm,  while  her  heart  seemed  breaking  with  horror 
and  indignation. 

Sorr  patiently  awaited  her  answer.  He  thought  she  waa 
considering  his  proposal,  and  that  was  a  good  sign.  He  had 
feared  that  she  would  indignantly  reject  it,  give  utterance  to 
her  detestation  of  the  Russian,  and  overwhelm  him  with 
reproaches  for  having  dared  to  suggest  such  a  scheme,  but 
nothing  of  all  this  had  occurred ;  she  had  listened  quietly. 
He  had  prepared  himself  to  overpower  her  resistance  with 
threats  and  entreaties,  but  there  seemed  to  be  no  need  for 
these.  Since  she  was  so  calmly  considering  the  matter  she 
would  certainly  be  reasonable  in  the  end.  He  exulted  in  so 
easy  and  unlooked-for  a  victory. 

At  last  she  spoke :  "  You  then  desire  that  we  should 
part  ?  You  yourself  would  now  declare  me  released  for  life 
from  every  obligation  that  a  wife  owes  to  her  husband? 
You  distinctly  consent  to  our  separation,  and  declare  that 
you  have  no  longer  any  claim  upon  either  my  life  or  my 
fidelity.  Answer  me  with  a  simple  '  yes,'  and  I  will  con- 
sider whether  to  accept  your  proposal,  but  before  I  decide  I 
must  be  free." 

"  If  you  accept  my  plan,  it  follows  as  a  matter  of  course 
that  you  are  entirely  free  by  my  desire,"  Sorr  replied,  who 
could  not  help  thinking  her  demand  rather  ambiguous. 

"  I  asked  for  a  simple  '  yes'  or  '  no,'  without  any  '  if,' 
I  must  be  free  before  I  decide.  Unless  you  say  *  yes'  uncon- 
ditionally, I  swear  to  you  I  will  die  before  I  yield  to  your 
wishes  and  part  from  you." 

"  Well,  then, '  yes,' — you  are  free.  But  now  be  reasonable, 
Lucie ;  tell  me  what  to  say  to  Repuin ;  he  expects  me  to- 
morrow morning  by  eight  o'clock.  I  dare  not  go  one  minute 
later." 


P"^"5TKT»'-«^JfS^^|BBiP«^T*«<'t^    «,  '^t— .•-iw5!5gip^j^B»w^!^«=-«?^s5SiW!f^  --  -p-'il,^||SB^.»V  -^^SSSW 


C^  STTX^  EOHENWALD.  73 

"  I  will  consider ;  you  shall  have  my  reply  before  eight 
to-morrow." 

"  But,  Lucie " 

"  You  must  wait.     I  will  not  decide  to-night." 

"  Well,  then,  as  you  will.  To-morrow  morning  early. 
Good-night,  Lucie." 

He  held  out  his  hand,  but  she  turned  from  him  with 
loathing,  and,  without  even  looking  at  him,  took  up  a  candle 
and  left  the  room.  Sorr  heard  the  door  of  her  own  room 
bolted  behind  her. 


CHAPTER    V. 


The  Hohenwalds  by  no  means  belong  to  the  old  Glerman 
imperial  nobility.  It  is  said  that  in  the  forest-depths  of  the 
domain  of  a  Saxon  Prince  his  trusty  huntsman  saved  the 
life  of  his  lord  from  the  ftirious  onslaught  of  a  wild  boar, 
and  that  in  gratitude  the  Prince  bestowed  upon  him  the 
hunting  castle  where  he  had  previously  been  overseer,  and 
in  memory  of  his  bravery  gave  him  the  name  of  Hohen- 
wald,*  which  gradually  came  to  belong  to  the  castle  and  the 
neighbouring  village  on  the  estate.  The  title  of  Freiherr, 
or  Baron,  was  bestowed  much  later  by  the  Emperor.  Baron 
Werner  von  Hohenwald,  who  distinguished  himself  as  a  col- 
onel during  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  was  probably  the  first  thus 
honoured,  and  the  founder  of  the  family  of  von  Hohenwalds. 

This  old  colonel,  who  added  much  to  the  estate,  not  a  large 
one  originally,  was  passionately  devoted  to  the  chase ;  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  the  old  castle,  surrounded  on  all  sides 
by  the  forest,  and  hi»  example  was  followed  by  all  his  succes 

*  Forest-depths. 
D  7 


■'^i^'m 


74  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Bors,  although  such  a  residence  by  no  means  lightened  the 
cares  of  the  management  of  the  extended  estates  of  Hohen- 
wald.  The  solitude  of  the  forest  had  an  irresistible  attraa 
tion  for  the  Hohenwalds,  and  although  they  had  erected  a  com- 
fortable grange  near  the  village,  they  always  occupied  the  castle. 
Around  the  comparatively  new  grange  were  gathered  the  farm 
buildings  and  the  dwellings  for  inspectors  and  other  officials. 
The  Hohenwalds  thought  nothing  of  the  inconvenience  of 
riding  a  couple  of  miles  to  reach  the  grange  ;  they  thought 
themselves  amply  compensated  by  the  wonderful  beauty  of 
the  site  of  the  castle,  buried  in  the  depths  of  a  magnificent 
forest.  The  love  of  solitude  seemed  inh-^rent  in  the  Hohen- 
walds. If  some  among  them  had  in  their  youth  frequented  the 
Court,  of  Dresden,  they  were  sure  to  return  finally  to  Castle 
Hohenwald,  and  none  of  them  ever  left  it  in  summer.  They 
had  lavished  so  much  money  and  taste  in  fitting  it  up  for  a 
home,  that  it  would  indeed  have  been  difficult  to  find  one 
more  charming  and  desirable.  The  imperial  colonel  had 
first  begun  to  improve  and  add  to  the  old  hunting-nest, 
and  each  of  his  successors  had  done  his  part  in  giving  fresh 
beauty  and  grace  to  castle,  to  gardens,  and  even  to  the 
forest,  a  portion  of  which  had  been  converted  into  a  magnifi- 
cent park.  If  they  loved  solitude,  they  were  all  the  more 
determined  to  surround  themselves  in  their  solitude  with 
every  luxury  that  wealth  could  procure.  Some  of  the  rooms 
of  the  castle  were  furnished  with  princely  splendour,  especially 
those  on  the  lower  story,  in  which  the  present  Freiherr 
Werner  had  been  wont  to  assemble  frequent  guests  before 
his  separation  from  his  wife.  The  walls  were  hung  with 
paintings  by  illustrious  masters ; — the  collection  of  pictures 
at  Hohenwald,  although  for  years  it  had  been  seen  by  none 
save  the  inmates  of  the  castle,  was  accounted  one  of  the  best 
and  largest  in  the  country, — aiid  the  castle  library  exceeded 
many  a  public  one  in  its  treasures  of  literature. 


^Pffli^^*SP^Sip^'"'''W?S^^PW* 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  75 

The  ground-floor  of  the  castle  was  less  gorgeously  fitted  up 
than  was  the  first  story.  The  present  possessor,  Freiherr 
Werner,  had  arranged  it  for  himself,  and  he  thought  more 
of  solid  comfort  than  of  superficial  splendour.  Nothing  had 
been  spared  to  make  the  rooms  pleasant  and  comfortable,  but 
the  hangings  and  furniture-covers  were  not  of  silken  damask, 
but  of  substantial  woollen  fabric,  subdued  in  colour,  suiting 
well  with  the  dark  oak  wainscoting  and  furniture. 

The  Freiherr's  favourite  retreat  was  a  large  apartment,  at 
one  end  of  which  lofly  folding-doors  of  glass  opened  upon  a 
terrace,  whence  a  flight  of  steps  led  into  the  garden.  As  the 
castle  crowned  an  eminence,  from  this  terrace  almost  all  the 
garden  could  be  overlooked,  as  well  as  part  of  the  road  leading 
to  the  castle  from  the  village  of  Hohenwald. 

The  garden-room,  as  it  was  called,  was  the  dwelling-room 
of  Freiherr  Werner ;  he  spent  most  of  his  time  here,  even  in 
winter,  and  in  summer,  when  the  tall  doors  were  thrown 
wide  open,  the  view  from  them  partly  indemnified  him  for 
the  loss  of  open-air  exercise,  from  which  he  had  now  been 
debarred  for  some  years. 

Every  morning  he  was  pushed  into  this  room  in  his  roll- 
ing-chair from  his  bedroom,  for  his  right  foot  was  so  lame 
from  the  gout  that  he  could  not  walk.  Here  he  assembled 
his  family  about  him,  here  the  daily  meals  were  eaten,  and 
only  late  in  the  evening  was  he  rolled  back  again  to  his 
bedroom  by  his  servant  or  by  his  son  Arno.  Every  day  he 
aat  at  the  open  doors,  gazing  out  into  the  garden.  In  former 
years  he  had  devoted  much  time  to  his  garden ;  he  was  en- 
thusiastically fond  of  flowers,  but  since  the  gout  had  confined 
him  to  his  rdling-chair  he  had  been  forced  to  content  himself 
with  merely  superintending  the  gardeners,  to  whom  from  time 
to  time  he  would  shout  down  his  orders.  It  was  but  seldom 
that  he  could  be  taken  out  into  the  garden  among  his  flowers, 
for  the  slightest  motion  octtasioned  him  great  pain. 


l^w^' 


76  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

On  the  afternoon  of  a  lovely  day  in  May  the  Freiherr  was 
seated  in  his  favourite  spot,  looking  abroad  into  the  garden, 
where  his  beloved  flowers  were  budding  gloriously,  and  de- 
lighting in  their  beauty  and  the  mild  air  of  spring.  He  was 
in  the  most  contented  of  moods  ;  his  book  was  laid  aside  ;  he 
could  read  at  any  time ;  storms  did  not  interfere  with  that. 
His  keen  gaze  wandered  with  intense  enjoyment  from  shrub 
to  shrub ;  most  of  them  he  had  planted  himself,  and  his  in- 
terest was  unflagging  in  watching  their  daily  development 
from  bud  to  blossom. 

If  the  Assessor  von  Hahn  could  have  seen  the  Freiherr  at 
this  moment  he  would  hardly  have  recognized  the  gloomy 
misanthrope  in  this  kindly  old  man  with  genial  smile  and 
gentle  eyes ;  but  the  next  moment  the  expression  of  the 
mobile  features  changed,  the  genial  smile  vanished,  the 
brow  was  contracted  in  a  frown,  the  dark  eyes  sparkled  with 
irritation. 

It  was  the  sound  of  a  distant  post-horn  that  caused  this 
sudden  change  in  the  Baron's  expression.  The  old  man 
listened.  An  extra  post !  He  had  not  heard  the  signal  for 
a  long  time,  but  in  former  years  his  ears  had  been  familiar 
enough  with  it ;  he  could  not  be  deceived.  A  visit  was  im- 
pending, for  the  road  led  only  to  Castle  Hohenwald  and  ended 
there ;  any  traveller  upon  it  must  have  the  castle  for  his  goal. 
Again  the  signal  sounded,  rather  nearer ;  the  postilion  was 
evidently  determined  that  the  castle  should  be  thoroughly 
apprised  of  the  visitor  at  hand. 

The  Freiherr  picked  up  a  bell  from  the  table  beside  him 
and  rang  it  loudly.  A  servant  instantly  appeared  at  the  door 
leading  into  the  hall.  "  Did  you  hear  that,  Franz  ?"  his 
master  angrily  exclaimed.  "  Did  you  hear  that  ?  An  extra 
post !" 

"  It  cannot  be,  sir,"  old  Franz  calmly  replied.  "  Who  is 
there  to  come  to  us?" 


y^^v "t^'^yr'.^^  ^^^*^Y<'     -  ■■  ■  '^  *   "■■'  -■'■:-  "T:;  :'--}  .r'-t'--^--:fr^-^^f^^^  ■ ,  -^  '■*"  * "    -    ■■'■  '  ,-'■ ,  t^^^   "■""■  "  *-'  ■  •  '^^^ri^-i0^'^' ' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  77 

"  That's  just  it.  Who  can  have  the  insolence?  But  there  ; 
hear  it  for  yourself.  The  cursed  postilion  is  blowing  with 
all  the  force  of  his  lungs  just  to  vex  me." 

"  Can  it  be  possible  ?"  old  Franz  exclaimed,  in  the  greatest 
astonishment,  as  he  hearkened  to  the  postilion's  horn  now 
sounding  much  nearer. 

"  No  doubt  of  it !  A  visit !  Such  insolence  is  insuffer- 
able !  Do  they  think  me  old  and  childish  ?  Whoever  it 
may  be  will  find  himself  mistaken.  Hurry,  Franz,  to  the 
castle  gate  ;  you  know  what  to  say.  I  receive  no  one  ;  I'm 
sick, — I  cannot  see  anybody.  The  carriage  must  turn  round 
and  go  back ;  whoever  it  may  be,  don't  let  them  get  out. 
Call  the  gardener  and  old  John  to  help  you,  if  you  need  them. 
Gro ;  be  quick.  In  a  few  minutes  that  carriage  will  be  here." 
The  old  man  looked  very  angry  as  he  shouted  out  these 
orders ;  his  dark  eyes  flashed  from  beneath  the  bushy  snow- 
white  eyebrows.  With  one  hand  he  stroked,  as  was  his  habit 
when  vexed,  his  fiill  silver  beard,  with  the  other  he  rapped 
upon  the  small  table  beside  him.  "  Well,  what  are  you 
waiting  for  ?"  he  growled  to  the  man,  who  still  stood  hesi- 
tating at  the  door. 

"  What  if  it  should  be  the  Herr  Finanzrath  ?" 
"  Werner  ?     I  positively  never  thought  of  him,"  replied 
the  Freiherr,  mollified  on  the  instant.    "  Of  course  he  is  an 
exception  ;  but  now  to  your  post.     Go !" 

Old  Franz  vanished,  and  the  Freiherr  leaned  forward  in  his 
chair,  disregarding  the  pain  the  movement  caused  him,  that 
he  might  better  overlook  the  road  leading  up  the  hill,  for  in 
a  few  moments  the  extra  post  would  emerge  from  the  forest 
and  be  visible  upon  the  road. 

On  came  the  horses  and  the  vehicle,  a  light  chaise,  in 
which  sat  an  elegantly-dressed  man  leaning  back  among  the 
cushions,  and  talking  to  a  horseman  who  was  riding  beside 
the  carriage. 

7* 


78  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

"  Of  course  it  is  Werner !"  muttered  the  Freiherr,  relieved, 
Binding  back  into  his  chair.  And  yet  he  did  not  seem  par- 
ticularly rejoiced  at  the  unexpected  arrival  of  his  eldest  son, 
for  the  frown  did  not  quite  leave  his  brow.  He  looked 
annoyed.  "  What  does  he  want,  coming  thus  without  letting 
us  know  ?  But  perhaps  he  did  announce  his  visit  to  Arno ; 
he  is  riding  beside  him.     Well,  well,  we  shall  see." 

The  old  man  had  not  long  to  wait, — the  post-chaise  soon 
rattled  over  the  stones  of  the  court-yard,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  the  Finanzrath  von  Hohenwald,  accompanied  by  his 
brother  Amo,  entered  the  garden-room. 

The  Finanzrath  was  a  tall,  handsome  man,  something  over 
thirty  years  old ;  he,  as  well  as  his  brother  Arno,  bore  a  de- 
cided resemblance  to  the  old  Baron, — they  had  the  same 
dark,  fiery  eyes,  and  the  same  finely-chiselled  mouth,  which, 
when  tightly  closed,  lent  an  almost  hard  expression  to  the 
face.  And  yet,  despite  their  likeness  to  their  father,  the 
brothers  were  so  unlike  that  it  was  only  after  long  familiarity 
with  them,  and  a  careful  comparison  of  their  features,  that 
any  resemblance  between  them  could  be  detected.  Both 
were  handsome  men,  tall  and  shapely,  but  their  air  and 
bearing  were  entirely  dissimilar,  Amo  having  preserved  the 
erect  military  carriage  of  the  soldier,  while  the  Finanzrath 
was  distinguished  by  an  easy,  negligent  grace  of  movement. 
Although  he  was  the  elder  of  the  two,  he  looked  much 
younger  than  Arno  ;  his  fresh-coloured,  smooth-shaven  face 
had  a  very  youthful  expression,  while  Arno's  grave,  earnest 
eyes  made  him  appear  older  than  he  really  was. 

The  old  Baron's  face  cleared  somewhat  as  the  Finanzrath 
drew  a  chair  up  beside  his  father's  and  greeted  him  most 
cordially.  "  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  looking  so  well,  father," 
he  said,  kindly.  "I  trust  that  terrible  gout  will  soon  be  so 
much  better  that  you  can  get  out  among  your  flowers.  But 
where  is  Celia?"  he  asked  suddenly. 


'W'?wi^'r™s^7^sw»T' ^'"^ ~"   y         *»^  "^  "^^  ^■f^^f%f!'i'^*:pf'f  f_  ^  «•»»'»  ■■•%■,    ■    ■  '-?,T-o«  ijn   -v^i^Rp; 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  79 

"  Yes,  where  is  she  ?  Who  can  teU  the  whereabouts  of 
that  will-o'-the-wisp  ?  In  the  forest,  in  the  park,  in  her  boat 
on  the  lake,  in  the  village, — everywhere  at  once  1"  the  old 
man  answered,  with  a  smile. 

A  slight  shade  flitted  across  the  Finanzrath's  countenance. 
"Just  the  same  as  ever,"  he  said.  "  I  thought  so ;  and  per- 
haps it  is  as  well  that  Celia  is  not  here  at  the  moment,  as  it 
gives  me  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  you  and  Amo,  father, 
of  a  matter  that  lies  very  near  my  heart,  and  that  I  should 
like  to  have  settled  before  I  see  her.  I  hope,  sir,  you  will 
not  be  angry  with  me  if  I  speak  frankly  with  you  in  regard 
to  your  darling,  whom  you  have  just  designated  so  justly  a 
will-o'-the-wisp  ?" 

"  What  do  you  want  with  the  child  ?  Have  you  any  fault 
to  find  again  with  Celia?"  the  Freiherr  aaked,  crossly. 

"  Yes,  father ;  I  feel  it  my  fraternal  duty  towards  Celia 
to  speak  very  seriously  to  you  and  to  Amo  in  regard  to 
her.  You  both  spoil  the  girl  so  completely  that  a  stop  must 
be  put  to  it.  Celia  is  now  fifteen  years  old,  she  is  almost 
grown  up." 

"  She  is  grown  up,"  Amo  interposed. 

"  So  much  the  worse.  Then  it  is  certainly  high  time  that 
something  were  done  about  her  education,  if  she  is  not  to  ran 
quite  wild.  She  is  a  charming,  sweet-tempered  creature,  and 
I  can  hardly  blame  you,  living  with  her  here  in  this  lonelj 
forest,  for  being  content  with  her  as  she  is,  nor  can  I  wonder 
that  you,  my  dear  father,  can  scarcely  grasp  the  idea  of 
allowing  her  to  leave  you." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  the  Freiherr  exclaimed,  angrily. 
"  What  are  you  thinking  of?   I  let  Celia  leave  me  ?   Never !" 

"  I  knew  what  you  would  say,  father,"  the  Finanzrath  re- 
plied ;  "  but  I  hope,  nevertheless,  that  after  calm  consideration 
you  will  agree  to  a  plan  that  I  have  to  propose  to  you.  Celia 
has  grown  up  here  in  the  cas'le  without  feminine  companion- 


80  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

ship,  for  you  will  hardly  call  our  old  Kaselitz,  who  has  always 
spoiled  the  child  to  her  heart's  content,  a  fit  associate  for  a 
Friiulein  von  Hohenwald.  The  only  person  of  education 
with  whom  Celia  comes  in  contact,  with  the  exception  of 
yourself  and  Arno,  is  her  tutor  our  good  old  pastor,  Quandt, 
who,  as  Arno  wrote  me,  has  taught  her  well  in  various 
branches  of  science  and  literature,  but  can  of  course  teach 
her  nothing  of  what  a  young  girl  of  rank  should  know  when 
she  goes  out  into  the  world." 

"  She  never  shall  go  out  into  the  world  1"  the  Freiherr  in- 
dignantly exclaimed. 

"  Do  you  wish  Celia  to  pass  her  entire  life  here  in  the  soli- 
tude of  Castle  Hohenwald  ?  Will  you  run  the  risk  of  hear- 
ing her  one  day  say  to  you,  '  You  have  robbed  me  of  the 
joys  of  life,  father !  I  might  have  been  a  happy  wife  and 
mother,  but  since  you  chose  to  keep  me  by  your  side,  I  am 
become  a  weary,  unhappy  old  maid!'  You  cannot  be  so  self- 
ish as  to  wish  that  your  darling  should  sacrifice  to  you  her 
entire  youth  ?" 

"  Nonsense  !  What  would  you  have  ?"  growled  the  Frei- 
herr. "  But  go  on.  I  should  like  to  know  what  you  really 
want." 

"  You  shall  soon  learn.  I  spoke  of  Celia's  education ;  she 
is  well  grounded  in  science  and  literature  j  she  rides  like  an 
Amazon, — not  badly  perhaps ;  she  handles  a  fowling-piece 
with  the  skill  of  a  gamekeeper.  So  far  so  good  ;  but  does  she 
understand  how  to  conduct  herself  in  society  ?  does  she  pos- 
sess the  talent  for  social  intercourse, — a  knowledge  of  those 
forms  which,  worthless  in  themselves,  are  nevertheless  indis- 
pensable accomplishments  for  a  young  lady  of  rank  ?" 

"  I  have  not  brought  her  up  to  be  a  fine  lady  1"  the  Freiherr 
said,  peevishly. 

"  I  think,  sir,  if  you  will  pardon  me,  that  you  have  not 
brought  her  up  at  all.     I  detest  a  fine  lady  and  modem  arti- 


; ->^'«ssj^wT!t3S!>;>p--7!*^-^^f5¥*&^'^?f^  .--jy ■^:7;:t-'- ■' ■;  -  ^^?^J^^^Bp^*«'''^    ■■.      ■■  .■  -  "'«-^V" -J^^^T;?!^^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  81 

ficial  culture,  but  a  Baroness  von  Ilolienwald  should  not  be 
utterly  ignorant  of  the  forms  of  society.  Celia  must  leam  to 
conform  to  the  rules  that  govern  the  society  of  to-day,  and 
it  is  high  time  that  she  began  to  do  so.  Amo  will  admit  that 
I  am  right." 

"  I  cannot  deny  it,"  said  Amo,  who  had  been  an  attentive 
listener  as  he  paced  the  room  to  and  fro,  and  who  now  paused 
before  his  brother  and  nodded  assent.  "  I,  too,  have  pon- 
dered upon  what  was  to  be  done  for  Celia.  Something  must 
be  arranged  for  her  further  culture,  but  I  have  vainly  tried 
to  devise  what  it  shall  be." 

"  And  yet  the  matter  is  simple  enough.  Two  methods  are 
open  to  you.  Let  my  father  choose  which  he  prefers.  The 
first,  which  I  myself  think  the  best  and  would  therefore  most 
strongly  recommend,  is  perhaps  the  one  that  will  prove  least 
pleasing  to  my  father.  Frau  von  Adelung's  school  in  Dres- 
den haa  the  best  of  reputations,  and  Frau  von  Adelung  her- 
self is  a  woman  of  refinement  and  culture,  who  moves  in  the 
first  society.  I  made  an  excursion  to  Dresden  before  I  came 
hither,  saw  Frau  von  Adelung  myself,  and  spoke  with  her 
regarding  Celia,  whom  she  is  quite  willing  to  receive  among 
her  pupils." 

"  Deuce  take  you  for  your  pains !"  cried  the  Freiherr,  with 
a  burst  of  anger.  "  I  know  without  being  told  that  if  I 
choose  to  pay  for  it  the  best  boarding-school  in  the  country 
will  be  thankful  to  have  my  CeUa,  but  I  tell  you,  once  for  all, 
I  will  not  hear  of  it.  I  cannot  part  with  the  child.  Celia  is 
my  sunshine  in  this  gloomy  house.  My  heart  rejoices  at  the 
sight  of  her.  The  pain  that  tortures  me  is  forgotten  when  I 
look  into  her  laughing  eyes.  I  am  a  sick  old  man.  You 
ought  not  to  be  so  cruel,  Werner  ;  leave  me  my  jewel  for  the 
few  years  that  I  have  to  live." 

The  Freiherr's  tone  from  one  of  angry  reproach  had  be- 
come that  of  almost  humble  entreaty. 
F 


82  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

The  Finanzrath  nodded  and  smiled.  "  I  hope  you  will  re- 
joice for  many  years  in  your  jewel,  and  one  day  see  her  a 
happy  wife  and  mother,"  he  said ;  and  then  continued :  "  If 
you  will  not  part  with  Celia,  she  must  have  the  training 
here  in  Hohenwald  which  she  could  indeed  procure  more 
easily  at  school ;  all  that  remains  to  be  done  is  to  engage  a 
good  governess  for  her." 

Amo  suddenly  paused  in  his  pacing  to  and  fro  in  the  room. 
"  Impossible  I"  he  exclaimed.  "  What  are  you  thinking  of, 
Werner  ?  A  governess  here  in  the  house !  Live  with  the 
pedantic,  insufferable  creature  day  after  day,  week  aft«r  week, 
and  always  have  her  interfering  between  our  Celia  and  our- 
selves !  Our  entire  life  would  have  to  be  changed.  If  so 
pretentious  a  person  were  to  come  here  she  would  require  to 
be  amused ;  we  should  have  visitors,  and  would  be  forced  to 
pay  visits  in  return.  The  peaceful  repose  that  has  hitherto 
reigned  in  Hohenwald  would  be  gone  if  a  strange  inmate  were 
introduced  among  us." 

"  Would  you  rather  send  Celia  to  school  ?  I  confess  I 
should  prefer  it  myself." 

"  But  I  should  not !"  the  old  Freiherr  exclaimed,  with 
decision.  "  I  do  not  like  womenfolk,  but  sooner  than  part 
with  Celia  I  will  endure  a  governess  in  the  house.  After  all, 
she  will  be  only  a  superior  sort  of  servant.  We  get  along 
with  Frau  Kaselitz,  and  we  can  get  along  with  her  too  !" 

"  Frau  Kaselitz  does  not  pretend  to  sit  at  table  with  us, 
nor  to  join  our  family  circle,"  said  Arno. 

"  That  would  be  insufferable,"  the  Freiherr  said,  reflectively. 

**  Then  let  us  have  recourse  to  the  school." 

'  Don't  say  another  word  about  that  cursed  school,"  growled 
the  Freiherr ;  "  let  us  have  the  governess  and  be  done  with 
it!" 

Amo  would  have  made  some  further  objection,  but  his 
&ther  cut  it  short  by  declaring  that  not  a  word  more  should 


5f»»a<'iSiSr'<J-w^    r.«p!^S.3^^at 1-,-  -.^        ,       -»,•        -r,  -    -  ^-^is^r,  *<a^.« 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  83 

be  said  upon  the  subject  until  Celia  ^as  by  ;  the  gbl  was  old 
enough  to  have  an  opinion  concerning  her  own  affairs. 

To  this  decision  the  Finanzrath  assented,  rather  unwil- 
lingly, to  be  sure,  since  he  would  have  preferred  to  have  the 
matter  settled  on  the  instant.  He  saw,  however,  that  his 
father  was  coming  round,  and  he  feared  to  injure  his  cause  by 
any  insistance.  And  Celia  herself  prevented  the  possibility 
of  continuing  the  conversation  in  her  absence. 

A  shower  of  syringa  blossoms  suddenly  rained  down  upon 
the  Finanzrath,  who  was  seated  near  the  open  door  leading 
to  the  garden,  and  a  charming  young  girl  appeared  upon  the 
threshold.  It  was  Celia, — the  will-o'-the-wisp,  as  her  father 
loved  to  call  her, — who  always  appeared  when  least  expected. 

With  a  merry  laugh  she  flew  to  the  Finanzrath,  sealing 
her  flower-greeting  with  a  light  kiss  upon  his  cheek,  and  then 
turning  to  the  old  Baron,  she  threw  her  arms  around  his 
neck.  "  You  are  a  dear,  darling  old  papa !"  she  cried,  gayly. 
"  You  will  not  let  your  Celia  be  sent  to  school  like  a  little 
child ;  you  will  not  let  me  be  disposed  of  without  consulting 
me  !  Thank  you,  my  own  dear  papa ;  but  as  for  you,  Werner, 
I  shall  not  forget  that  you  would  have  banished  me  &om 
Hohenwald." 

The  Finanzrath  shook  off  the  syringa  blossoms,  and,  leaning 
back  in  his  chair,  contemplated  his.  sister  with  increasing  satis- 
faction. He  had  not  seen  her  for  nearly  a  year ;  he  had  not 
been  at  Hohenwald  since  the  Freiherr's  last  birthday,  and 
during  this  time  Celia  had  changed  wonderfully.  He  had  left 
a  child,  he  found  a  maiden ;  the  tall,  lithe  figui'e  had  gained 
a  certain  roundness  and  grace. 

Celia  was  developed  physically  far  beyond  her  years ;  men- 
tally, she  was  still  the  gay,  careless  child ;  the  happy  spirit 
of  childhood  laughed  in  her  large  brown  eyes,  was  mirrored 
in  the  bright  smile  that  lit  up  her  lovely  features,  and  in  the 
^y  defiance  with  which,  after  having  fairly  smothered  her 


T-^ 


84  CASTLE   HOHENWALD. 

father  with  kisses,  she  confronted  the  Finanzrath  with 
folded  arms.  "  Well,  my  sage  brother,"  she  said,  laughing, 
"  here  1  am,  in  my  own  proper  person,  prepared  to  listen 
to  your  highly  valuable  advice  with  regard  to  my  future 
training." 

"  Have  you  been  listening,  Celia  ?"  the  Finanzrath  a.sked. 

"  Of  course  I  have.  I  saw  you  arrive,  and  by  way  of  wel- 
come plucked  a  whole  apronful  of  syringa  flowers  to  surprise 
yDu  after  a  sisterly  fashion,  and  then  crept  up  to  the  door  on 
tiptoe.  There,  to  my  horror,  I  heard  how  the  redoubtable 
Finanzrath  had  the  impudence  to  tell  my  darling  old  papa 
that  he  had  not  brought  me  up.  Was  it  not  my  duty  to 
listen  ?  You  are  a  detestable  monster,  Werner  !  Look  at  me 
and  tell  me  what  fault  you  have  to  find  with  me." 

At  this  moment  the  Finanzrath  certainly  had  no  fault 
whatever  to  find  with  his  charming  sister ;  he  thought  her 
lovely,  and  owned  to  himself  that  if  no  one  had  brought  Celia 
up,  mother  Nature  had  done  the  best  that  was  possible  for  her. 
Her  every  movement  was  graceful,  her  bearing  that  of  a  lady, 
and  even  in  the  stormy  embrace  she  had  bestowed  upon  her 
father  there  had  been  nothing  rude  or  unfeminine,  but  only 
an  impulsive  warmth  that  became  her  admirably. 

•'  Why  do  you  not  speak?"  Celia  went  on,  as  the  Finanz- 
rath continued  to  look  at  her  with  a  smile  but  without  reply- 
ing. "  You  were  ready  enough  just  now  to  prate  about  my 
want  of  social  elegance,  and  Herr  Arno,  in  the  character  of 
a  dignified  echo,  added  his  '  I  cannot  deny  it.'  Only  wait, 
Arno  ;  you  shall  atone  to  me  for  that !" 

"  That's  right !"  the  Freiherr  cried  in  high  glee.  "  The 
little  witch  has  you  both  on  the  hip." 

"  And,  papa,  I  am  a  little  angry  with  you,  too.  You  were 
nearly  talked  over  by  that  odious  Werner.  Now  let  me  tell 
you,  if  you  ever  send  me  to  boarding-school  I  will  run  away 
immediately.    Even  if  I  have  to  beg  my  way  back  to  Hohen 


iroy^g'^^Bif'y^T''^^^^^'?'  g5g^^'^~^"^^w^^<ag^ff^y^g'  f^  '-'*  "'^^is^Bpwi^      ^y'^ss^pfpjB? 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  85 

wald  I  never  will  stay  in  Dresden  with  that  horrid  Frau  von 
Adelung,  to  whom  Werner  would  sell  me  like  a  slave." 

"  You  would  not  talk  so,  child,  if  you  had  ever  seen  Frau 
von  Adelung,"  the  Finanzrath  observed. 

"  I  am  not  a  child,  and  I  will  not  let  you  treat  me  as  such. 
Remember  that,  Werner.  I  will  never  consent  to  be  sent  im 
school." 

"  Assure  yourself  on  that  point,  little  one.  You  heard 
me  say  that  I  never  will  permit  such  an  arrangement: 
that  I  cannot  and  will  not  be  parted  from  you,"  said  the  old 
man. 

"  Yes,  I  heard  that,  you  dear  old  papa,  and  I  could  have 
shouted  for  joy  when  you  reftised  to  listen  to  Werner's  odious 
plan.  You  cannot  live  without  me,  nor  can  I  without  you. 
So  let  Amo  talk  as  he  pleases.  You  and  I  know  that  I  am 
very  well  brought  up.  Neither  you  nor  Amo  has  ever  found 
any  fault  with  my  manners,  and  as  for  what  Werner  has  to 
say  about  marriage,  it  is  all  nonsense.  I  shall  never  marry, 
but  live  here  with  you  two  at  Hohenwald.  Upon  that  I  am 
resolved." 

"  Ah,  indeed  ?"  the  Finanzrath  asked,  smiling.  "  So  ele- 
vated a  resolve  adopted  by  a  girl  of  fifteen  of  course  altera 
the  case." 

"  You  are  detestable !     In  two  months  I  shall  be  sixteen." 

"  A  most  venerable  age,  I  admit ;  fortunately,  however,  not 
so  advanced  but  that  you  may  still  have  something  to  leani. 
How,  for  example,  does  your  music  come  on  ?" 

Celia  blushed,  and  replied,  rather  dejectedly,  "  I  have  not 
practised  much  lately.  Our  good  old  pastor  is  so  deaf  that  he 
never  hears  my  mistakes." 

"  And  therefore  you  prefer  not  to  practise  at  all,  but  to 
forget  the  little  you  have  learned,  although  you  have  consid- 
erable talent,  and  might  give  my  father  a  great  deal  of  pleas- 
ure if  you  had  a  good  teacher.    Think,  father,  how  you  would 

8 


■    'T'i 


86  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

enjoy  having  Celia  give  you  an  hour  or  so  of  delicious  music 
every  evening." 

The  old  man  looked  fondly  at  his  darling :  "  Yes,  yes,  I 
should  like  it  very  well,  but  if  it  tires  the  child  to  practise,  I 
can  do  very  well  without  it." 

"  Oh,  no,  papa ;  I  will  turn  over  a  new  leaf,  and  practise 
well,  if  it  really  will  please  you." 

"  Practice  is  not  enough,"  said  the  Finanzrath ;  "  you  never 
will  improve  without  a  teacher.  I  consulted  Frau  von  Ada- 
lung  upon  the  subject,  for  I  foresaw  that  my  plan  of  sending 
you  to  school  would  meet  with  invincible  opposition  from  you 
and  my  father.  Therefore  I  asked  Frau  von  Adelung  if  she 
knew  of  any  one  whom  she  could  recommend  as  a  governess 
for  Celia." 

"  Ah,  now  we  are  coming  to  the  governess !"  cried  Celia, 
laughing.  "  You  are  a  bom  diplomatist,  Werner.  This  is 
why  you  praised  my  '  talent'  and  talked  about  my  music. 
But  no,  my  cunning  brother,  I  am  not  to  be  caught  in  your 
net.  Am  I,  grown  up  as  I  am,  to  be  ordered  about  by  an 
ugly  old  governess  in  green  spectacles?  I  can  hear  her 
now :  '  Fraulein  Celia,  sit  up ;  you  are  stooping  again  1 
Fraulein  Celia,  no  young  lady  should  climb  a  chestnut-tree. 
Fraulein  Celia  here,  Fraulein  Celia  there !  You  must 
not  do  this,  and  you  must  not  do  that.*  Oh,  a  governess 
is  always  a  horror !  and  I  tell  you,  Werner,  that  if  you  send 
one  here,  I  will  contrive  that  she  is  tired  of  her  post  in  a 
week." 

"  We  will  see  about  that,"  the  Finanzrath  rejoined,  coolly. 
"  Frau  von  Adelung  has  recommended  to  me  very  highly  an 
accomplished  young  person,  who,  so  far  as  I  know,  neither 
wears  green  spectacles  nor  is  a  horror.  She  is  very  musical, 
plays  the  piano  charmingly,  and  speaks  French  as  well  aa 
English." 

"  She  must  be  a  prodigy,  indeed !"  Arno  said.    "  Is  it  pos- 


wpw;^  ?'{;'*y'.?ip!N«**v  ■'^  '.■'  ■^^sr^^^^^H'i- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  87 

Bible  that  sucli  a  combination  of  the  arts  and  sciences  can 
condescend  to  come  to  Castle  Hohenwald  ?  Celia  is  right ; 
the  lady  could  not  stay  here  a  week.  Our  lonely  castle  is 
no  place  for  such  a  wonder,  nor  is  Celia  any  pupil  for  her. 
Neither  my  father  nor  I  could  alter  our  mode  of  life  for 
a  governess.  Women,  in  fact,  are  so  little  to  my  mind, 
that  it  is  only  by  an  effort  that  I  can  bring  myself  to  speak 
to  them." 

"  Pray  let  me  thank  you  in  the  name  of  the  sex,"  Celia 
f.aid,  with  a  low  courtesy  to  her  brother. 

"  Nonsense !  you  are  an  exception,  you  little  will-o'-the- 
wisp.  No  need  to  talk  artificial  nonsense  to  you ;  you  are 
not  greedy  for  admiration,  and  do  not  expect  to  be  flat- 
tored." 

"  And  how  do  you  know  that  Fraulein  Miiller,  the  ladj 
recommended  by  Frau  von  Adelung,  expects  it?"  asked  the 
Finanzrath. 

"  All  these  modem  governesses  expect  it.  Most  of  them 
are  pedantic,  and  all  of  them  are  greedy  for  admiration." 

"  You  are  certainly  mistaken  in  this  case.  I  described 
exactly  to  Frau  von  Adelung  the  life  that  is  led  at  Castle 
Hohenwald ;  I  expressly  told  her  that  no  guest  is  admitted 
within  its  walls,  that  the  governess  would  have  no  companion- 
ship save  Celia's,  that  my  father  was  ill,  and  therefore  unfit 
for  social  intercourse,  that  Arno  was  a  woman-hater,  who 
would  never,  probably,  exchange  three  words  with  her,  and 
that  therefore  the  position  of  governess  here  would  not  suit 
any  one  with  any  social  pretensions." 

"  And  what  was  Frau  von  Adelung's  reply  ?"  Arno  asked. 

"  That  it  was  just  the  kind  of  situation  that  Fraulein 
Miiller  wanted." 

"  That  seems  to  me  a  rather  suspicious  circumstance.  Why 
dhould  such  a  woman  as  you  describe,  talented  and  accom- 
plished, desire  to  bury  herself  in  the  solitude   of  Castle 


--,i^*s»'^.^^;-:s'3^ 


88  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Hohenwald  ?"  Arno  objected,  and  his  father,  too,  shook  his 
head  doubtfully. 

But  the  Finanzrath  was  prepared  for  this  objection ;  he 
said,  "  Frau  von  Adelung,  in  whose  sincerity  and  truth  I 
place  perfect  reliance,  explained  what  seemed  to  me,  too, 
an  anomaly.  Friiulein  Miiller  has  had  much  to  endure  in 
her  life  ;  her  father  was  a  wealthy  merchant,  and  she  waa 
brought  up  in  the  greatest  luxury.  But  all  the  young  girl's 
hopes  in  life  were  disappointed  :  her  father  lost  his  entire  for- 
tune. Frau  von  Adelung  hinted  that  he  had  committed  sui- 
cide, probably  in  despair  at  his  losses,  and  gave  me  to  sup- 
pose, although  for  the  young  lady's  sake  she  did  not  say  so 
directly,  that  the  poor  girl  was  betrothed,  and  that  the  loss 
of  her  money  broke  her  engagement.  Alone,  and  dependent 
entirely  upon  her  own  exertions,  the  unfortunate  girl  is 
anxious  to  earn  an  honourable  livelihood.  The  solitude 
of  Castle  Hohenwald,  Frau  von  Adelung  maintains,  would 
make  the  situation  here  peculiarly  desirable  to  Fraulein  Miil- 
ler. I  expressly  stated,  also,  that  my  father  would  be  quite 
ready  to  indemnify  her  by  an  unusually  high  salary  for  the 
disadvantages  of  her  position  here ;  and  I  have  so  arranged 
matters  that  it  only  needs  a  note  from  me  to  Frau  von  Ade- 
lung to  secure  Fraulein  Miiller  for  Celia.  She  might  be 
here  in  a  few  days.  It  is  for  you  to  decide,  father,  whether 
we  shall  embrace  the  opportunity  thus  offered  us  of  pro- 
curing a  suitable  companion  and  teacher  for  Celia,  or  whether 
»re  shall  let  it  slip." 

The  Freiherr  was  convinced  by  his  son's  representations. 
There  was  still  a  conflict  going  on  within  him  between  his 
distaste  for  having  his  quiet  life  disturbed  by  the  intnision 
of  a  stranger  and  his  desire  that  Celia's  education  might  be 
complete.  But  he  was  so  far  won  over  to  the  Finanzrath's 
views  that  he  would  not  say  '  no'  to  his  plan.  Celia  must 
decide.    "  Well,  little  one,"  he  said,  "  what  do  you  think  now 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  89 

ol  Werner's  scheme  ?  Shall  he  write  to  Frau  von  Adelung 
to  send  us  this  Fraulein  Miiller,  or  do  you  still  declare  that 
you  will  not  have  her  ?" 

Celia  looked  thoughtful.  She  must  decide,  then.  She 
thought  of  the  delicious  liberty  she  had  hitherto  enjoyed, 
of  the  restraint  that  would  be  laid  upon  her  in  the  future. 
But  she  thought  also  of  her  father's  pleasure  in  her  progress 
in  music,  and  more  than  all,  it  quite  broke  her  heart  to  think 
that  her  "  no"  would  destroy  the  hopes  of  an  unfortunate 
girl  who  was  seeking  a  position  as  governess. 

Her  brother's  account  had  excited  her  profound  sympathy. 
She  could  not  say  "  no."  "  You  are  an  odious  fellow,  Wer- 
ner !"  she  said,  af^r  a  short  pause  for  reflection.  "  You  do 
just  what  you  please  with  us ;  but  you  shall  have  a  kiss,  and 
you  may  write  to  Fraulein  Miiller  to  come,  and  I  will  try 
not  to  tease  her." 

So  the  Finanzrath  had  his  kiss,  but  he  could  not  keep  her 
by  his  side.  She  had  been  serious  long  enough,  and  she  ran 
laughing  into  the  garden,  leaving  her  father  and  brotherB 
to  farther  consultation. 


w-.tn.'-'i'K'^f  T'^ 


90  VASTLE  HOHENWALD. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

The  Pruseian-Saxon  boundary  defines  also  the  bounds  bo 
tween  the  Hohenwald  estates,  that  lie  entirely  on  Saxon 
territory,  and  the  Prussian  domain  of  Griinhagen.  The 
boundary-line  here  makes  a  great  curve  into  Saxony,  so  that 
the  Griinhagen  lands  are  almost  shut  in  by  the  Hohenwald 
forests  and  fields.  The  Griinhagen  forest  indeed  forms  a 
continuation  of  the  magnificent  woods  of  beech  and  oak  that 
surround  Castle  Hohenwald,  the  boundary-line  between  them 
being  only  marked  out  by  a  narrow  path,  so  overgrown  with 
moss  and  underbrush  that  only  careful  observation  can  detect 
its  course. 

The  vicinity  of  the  two  estates  has  always  been,  since 
the  memory  of  man,  a  fruitful  cause  of  quarrel  between  the 
respective  proprietors  of  Hohenwald  and  Griinhagen,  each 
being  strictly  jealous  lest  his  neighbour  should  infringe  upon 
his  rights.  At  times  some  of  the  Hohenwald  cattle,  when 
the  herd-boy  was  not  sufficiently  on  the  alert,  would  stray 
into  the  Griinhagen  fields  and  be  taken  into  custody  by  Herr 
von  Poseneck's  people,  and  on  one  occasion  the  Hohenwald 
forester  had  actually  sequestrated  the  fowling-piece  of  Herr 
von  Poseneck,  when  that  gentleman,  who  was  devoted  to  the 
chase,  had  in  his  hunting  aiiempted  to  make  a  short  cut 
through  the  Hohenwald  forest.  There  had  also  been  various 
trespasses  upon  the  rights  of  the  chase  which  were  hardly 
to  be  distinguished  from  poaching  committed  on  both  sides  of 
the  boundary  by  enthusiastic  Posenecks  and  Hohenwalds. 

These  innumerable  quarrels  had  begotten  a  hostility  be- 
tween the  Barons  of  Hohenwald  and  Poseneck,  which  had 
been  handed  down  from  generation  to  generation,  and  which 


j; "|^>|ig^.;5(ptro^v<sj>''i?_T5T^fk^jK^^j-. ■^'*y:^-;;•---■. -  ''^WT'/v-^:--',.'<eyvf.^  *"f^-7i3''^:*;;f';;!-f^-,-'^--7']l,^  ^^^-  "v.^^Z'  ■]•:■.- ■■■ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  ^% 

»ras  by  no  means  lessened  by  the  fact  that,  since  the  annexa- 
tion of  Saxony  with  Prussia,  the  Posenecks  had  become 
Prussian  noblemen.  No  Hohenwald  ever  visited  Griinhagen, 
and  even  in  the  days  when  Hohenwald  had  been  renowned 
for  its  brilliant  entertainments,  at  which  were  assembled  all 
the  country  gentry  and  many  families  from  beyond  the  border, 
no  Poseneck  was  ever  invited  within  its  gates. 

The  hatred  of  the  Hohenwalds  for  the  Posenecks  waa  so 
great  that  Freiherr  Werner,  although  he  was  not  wanting 
in  a  certain  amiability,  could  not  suppress  a  sentiment  of 
exultation  when,  in  1849,  Kurt  von  Poseneck,  who  had  allied 
himself  with  great  enthusiasm  to  the  revolutionists,  waa 
forced  to  sell  Griinhagen  to  his  brother-in-law,  the  Amts- 
rath  Friese,  and  emigrate  to  America  with  his  family  to 
escape  the  trial  for  high  treason  that  threatened  him  as  a 
member  of  the  extreme  left  of  the  Frankfort  National  As- 
sembly. 

Since  then,  however,  the  animosity  between  Griinhagen 
and  Poseneck  had  slumbered,  for  the  new  possessor  of  Griin- 
hagen was  a  man  who  detested  litigation,  and  who  did  all  that 
he  could  to  avoid  giving  cause  for  offence  to  the  Hohenwalds, 
while  he  overlooked  any  slight  trespass  on  their  part.  Thus 
open  strife  was  avoided,  but  the  old  dislike  only  smouldered. 
Freiherr  Werner  had  transferred  it  to  the  Poseneck's  near 
relative,  the  Amtsrath,  whom  he  detested  for  his  Prussian 
extraction. 

Like  master  like  man  I  All  the  inmates  of  the  castle  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  village  of  Hohenwald  hated  everything 
relating  to  Griinhagen.  The  Hohenwald  servants,  from  the 
steward  and  inspector  to  the  commonest  stable-boy,  held  the 
"  Griinhagen  Prussians"  for  an  odious  race  of  men,  and,  as 
they  had  received  strict  orders  from  the  Freiherr  not  to  be  led 
into  any  disputes,  avoided  all  association  with  the  Griinhagen 
people. 


^'irrw»5?53r^.'^ 


92  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Thus  the  road  from  Griinhagen  to  the  village  of  Hohen- 
wald  wellnigh  disappeared  beneath  weeds  and  grass,  for  there 
was  not  the  slightest  intercourse  between  the  two  places. 
Was  it  to  be  wondered  at,  then,  that  a  Hohenwald  plough 
boy,  driving  his  team  in  the  meadow  bordering  upon  the 
Griinhagen  lands,  stopped  his  horses  and  stared  in  surprise 
at  a  young,  well-dressed  man  sauntering  slowly  along  the  dis- 
used road,  crossing  the  boundary,  and  then,  when  near  the 
village  of  Hohenwald,  striking  into  a  by-path  leading  directly 
to  the  Hohenwald  oak-forest  ?  The  fellow  looked  after  the 
stranger  until  he  was  lost  to  sight  in  the  forest,  and  then 
whipped  up  his  horses,  resolving  to  acquaint  the  inspector 
that  very  evening  with  the  remarkable  occurrence. 

The  stranger  noticed  the  ploughboy's  wonder,  but  it  merely 
provoked  a  smile  as  he  slowly  loitered  along  the  meadow-path. 
Now  and  then  he  paused  and  looked  around,  surveying  with 
evident  pleasure  the  lovely  landscape  spread  before  him,  the 
fertile  fields  and  meadows,  girdled  by  the  glorious  oaken 
forest,  now  clothed  in  the  delicious  green  of  early  spring. 
As  he  reached  its  borders  he  paused  again  to  look  back 
at  the  charming  village  of  Hohenwald,  nestled  on  the  edge 
of  the  forest,  and  at  the  stately  mansion  of  Grrtinhagen,  over- 
topping the  farm-buildings,  granaries,  stables,  and  cottages 
about  it. 

How  near  the  two  estates  were  to  each  other  and  yet  how 
wide  apart !  A  smile  hovered  upon  the  young  man's  hand- 
some face  as  he  called  to  mind  the  strange  hatred  of  the  two 
proprietors  for  each  other.  He  had  laughed  aloud  when  the 
Amtsrath  Friese  had  told  him  of  it  at  Grtinhagen,  and  he 
could  not  now  suppress  a  smile,  for  such  an  inherited  ave^ion 
was  entirely  inconceivable  to  him ;  it  was  a  folly  for  which 
there  was  no  possible  explanation. 

Entering  the  wood,  he  pursued  the  narrow  path  through 
the  thick  underbrush,  and  gazed  about  him  with  intense 


^^^^^mm^^mW^'^^^p^^^^ir^^^K^^W'  •^^^^^^:'  •■''i' -.tfJ^- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  93 

admiration.  Nowhere  else  in  Europe  had  he  seen  such  mag- 
nificent old  oaks ;  they  belonged  exclusively  to  the  Hohen- 
wald  domain,  whose  proprietor  cared  for  them  most  tenderly, 
and  never  allowed  any  of  the  giant  trunks  to  be  felled  except 
those  which  nature  had  decreed  should  yield  to  time.  The 
Baron  could  well  afford  to  cultivate  his  love  for  his  oaks ; 
and  whatever  might  be  done  in  distant  parts  of  the  forest,  no 
axe  was  ever  allowed  to  work  havoc  near  the  castle  among 
his  old  oaks  and  beeches  in  his  dear  "  forest  depths."  The 
narrow  foot-path  crossed  a  broad  road  through  the  wood; 
here  the  stranger  paused  irresolute  and  looked  about  him 
search  ingly.  To  the  right  the  road  wound  through  the 
forest,  in  whose  depths  it  vanished ;  to  the  left  it  led  through 
rows  of  trees  up  a  gentle  incline  to  Castle  Hohenwald,  one  of 
the  wings  of  which  the  stranger  could  discern  in  the  distance. 
He  had  not  thought  himself  so  near  the  castle ;  the  foot-path 
must  have  led  him  astray.  According  to  the  directions  of 
the  G-riinhagen  inspector,  he  should  be  upon  the  path  which, 
cutting  off  a  comer,  was  a  more  direct  road  to  the  Griinhagen 
woods  than  the  one  leading  from  the  mansion ;  but  if  this 
were  so,  it  ought  not  to  have  brought  him  so  near  to  Castle 
Hohenwald.  He  hesitated,  pondering  whether  to  follow  the 
path  on  the  other  side  of  the  road  or  to  turn  round,  when  his 
attention  was  arrested  by  a  charming  sight.  Gralloping  upon 
a  magnificent  and  spirited  horse,  there  suddenly  appeared 
upon  the  road  from  the  castle  a  girl  scarcely  more  than  a 
child.  She  managed  her  steed  with  wondrous  case  and  se- 
curity ;  the  mad  gallop  gave  her  no  fear ;  she  sat  as  firmly 
and  even  carelessly  in  the  saddle  as  though  the  horse  were 
going  at  an  ordinary  pace ;  indeed,  she  even  incited  him  to 
greater  speed  with  a  light  touch  of  her  riding-whip. 

How  lovely  she  was !  A  young  girl,  judging  by  her  slender, 
well-rounded  figure,  and  yet  only  a  child.  There  was  a  bright 
smile  upon  her  charming  face,  her  eyes  beamed  with  happi- 


^f-SSjg^^^ygBTO-i:^? 


94  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

ness,  and  her  dark  curls,  blown  backwards  by  the  breeae, 
escaped  from  beneath  her  light  straw  hat. 

She  was  very  near  the  stranger  when  the  horse  suddenly 
started  and  shied,  probably  frightened  by  the  young  man's 
light  summer  coat  among  the  trees. 

A  practised  horseman  might  well  have  lost  his  stirrup 
through  such  an  interruption  of  the  swift  gallop,  but  the 
young  Amazon  kept  her  seat  perfectly,  punished  her  horse  by 
a  smart  cut  with  her  whip,  as  she  exclaimed,  "  What  are  you 
about,  Pluto  ?"  and  then,  as  with  a  strong  steady  hand  she 
reined  him  in,  looked  to  see  what  had  caused  his  terror. 

A  stranger  in  the  Hohenwald  forest !  Celia  had  reason 
enough  for  astonishment,  for  she  could  scarcely  remember 
ever  having  seen  any  save  the  people  of  Hohenwald  upon  her 
father's  estate.  And  this  was  an  elegantly-dressed  stranger, 
no  forester  or  peasant,  but  a  young  man  evidently  from  the 
higher  walks  of  society.  Now  a  well-educated  young  lady 
would  certainly  have  found  it  becoming  in  such  an  unex- 
pected encounter  with  a  stranger  in  the  lonely  forest  to  dis- 
play a  certain  amount  of  embarrassment,  perhaps  of  timidity. 
Not  so  Celia.  She  scanned  the  intruder  upon  her  father's 
domain  with  a  long,  searching  look, — the  sensation  of  fear  she 
knew  only  by  name,  and  there  was  no  cause  for  embarrass- 
ment. She  was  at  home  here,  upon  her  native  soil.  She  had 
a  perfect  right  to  ask  the  stranger  bluntly,  "  How  came  you 
here  ?     Who  are  you  ?" 

♦  The  stranger  bowed  very  respectfully.  "  I  think,"  he  re- 
plied, "that  I  have  the  honour  of  addressing  Fraulein  von 
Hohenwald." 

He  was  evidently  a  very  polite  and  agreeable  young  man, — 
"  the  honour  of  addressing  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald."  Celia 
suddenly  felt  very  much  grown  up.  Hitherto  she  had  been 
only  Celia.  Even  the  servants,  who  had  known  her  from 
infan<-y,  called  her  nothing  but  Fraulein  Celia.    Fraulein  von 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  95 

Hohenwald  sounded  delightfxd.  She  quite  forgot  to  pursue 
her  inquiries,  and  answered,  "  Yes,  I  am  CecUia  von  Hohen- 
wald." 

Again  the  stranger  bowed  low,  and  taking  a  little  card-case 
from  his  breast-pocket,  produced  a  visiting-card,  which  he 
handed  to  her,  saying,  "I  must  pray  your  forgiveness  for 
presenting  myself  in  this  informal  manner  as  your  nearest 
neighbour," 

Celia  read  the  card.  "Kurt  von  Poseneck!"  she  ex- 
claimed, and  the  tone  of  her  voice  as  well  as  the  expression 
of  her  eyes  manifested  such  surprise  and  even  terror,  that 
for  Kurt  all  the  inherited  hatred  of  the  Hohenwalds  for  the 
Posenecks  found  utterance  in  this  brief  mention  of  his  name. 

When  the  Amtsrath  Friese,  his  uncle,  had  told  him  of  the 
fierce  hatred  between  the  Hohenwalds  and  the  Posenecks  that 
had  been  handed  down  through  generations,  Kurt  had  laughed 
heartily,  but  now  when  he  thought  he  saw  that  this  insensate 
hate  had  taken  root  in  the  heart  of  this  lovely  child,  he  was 
filled  with  a  sense  of  painful  regret.  "  What  have  I  done  to 
you,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald,"  he  said,  sadly,  "  that  my  name 
should  so  startle  you  ?" 

"  It  does  not  startle,  it  only  surprises  me,"  Celia  replied, 
quickly,  as  she  looked  with  increased  interest  and  a  greater 
degree  of  attention  at  this  young  man,  who  did  not  in  the 
least  resemble  the  picture  she  had  formed  from  the  tales  of 
Frau  Kaselitz  of  a  member  of  the  evil-minded,  cross-grained 
quairebome  Poseneck  family. 

Certainly  Kurt  von  Poseneck  looked  neither  cross-grained 
nor  quarrelsome  as  his  frank  eyes  met  her  own  kindly  and  yet 
sadly. 

Her  first  inspection  had  inclined  her  in  the  stranger's  favour, 
and  Celia  now  decided  that  he  was  a  very  fine-looking  man, 
almost  as  tall  as  her  brother  Amo  and  far  handsomer,  for 
Amo  looked  stern  and  gloomy,  while  Kurt  smiled  kindly. 


■rv^'^ffmwi'^ 


9G  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

His  full  brown  beard  and  moustache  became  him  admirably. 
Celia  thought  his  expression  exceedingly  pleasing ;  she  had 
never  supposed  that  a  Poseneck  could  have  so  frank  and 
honest  a  smile. 

The  girl  was  quite  incapable  of  dissimulation,  —  her 
thought'^  and  sentiments  were  mirrored  in  her  eyes, — and 
Kurt  perceived  to  his  great  satisfoction  the  first  startled  ex- 
pressior.  vanish  from  her  face  as  she  looked  at  him  with  a 
very  friendly  air. 

"  I  thank  you,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald,"  he  said,  "  for 
those  simple  words.  I  was  afraid  you  shared  the  melancholy 
prejudice  that  has  been  the  cause  of  so  xnany  terrible  disputes 
between  our  families  in  former  times,  and  this  would  have 
specially  pained  me  in  you." 

"  Why  specially  in  me  ?" 

The  question  was  simple  and  natural,  but  yet  not  easy 
to  answer.  "  Because — because — well,  then,  honestly  and 
frankly.  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald,  because  as  soon  as  I  saw 
you  I  said  to  myself,  '  Let  the  Hohenwalds  and  the  Posenecks 
quarrel  and  hate  one  another  as  they  choose,  Fraulein  Cecilia 
von  Hohenwald  and  Kurt  von  Poseneck  never  shall  be 
enemies  !'  Forget  the  mutual  dislike  that  has  divided  our 
families.  Will  you  not  promise  me  this  ?  I  know  it  is  a 
strange  request  to  make  of  you,  but  you  must  forgive  my 
bluntness.  I  returned  to  Europe  only  a  few  months  ago, 
and  cannot  forget  the  fashion  learned  upon  our  Western  farm 
in  America.     I  hope  you  will  not  blame  me  for  it." 

"  Oh,  no ;  on  the  contrary,  I  like  frankness.  Wernei 
always  scolds  me  for  having  my  heart  upon  my  lips ;  he  is 
odious,  but  papa  and  Arno  take  my  part." 

"Who  is  Werner?" 

"  My  brother,  the  Finanzrath.  I  thought  you  knew  ;  bu< 
indeed  you  cannot  know  much  about  us  if  you  are  only  lately 
fome  from  America." 


-»>~5>|F«r-~^SMJppi3^;'»C"-      t",     '-•      ',"1-^      r'-r    \'r,-g^y^-i^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  97 

"  More  than  you  ttink.  My  father  used  often  to  t«ll  me 
of  Griinhagen  and  Hohenwald,  and  my  uncle  Friese  has 
talked  of  you  to  me  also.  I  knew  and  admired  you,  Frau- 
lein  von  Hohenwald,  from  his  description,  and  I  am  doubly 
rejoiced  that  chance  has  brought  us  together.  But  you  have 
not  yet  answered  me.  Will  you  grant  my  request  and 
promise  me  that  for  us  the  old  fapily  feud  shall  not  exist?" 

"  With  all  my  heart !"  said  Celia ;  and  in  ratification  of  her 
promise  she  held  out  her  hand  to  Kurt,  although  her  horse 
seemed  to  take  the  stranger's  approach  very  ill,  and  grew 
restless. 

Kent  took  the  little  proffered  hand.  "  Peace  is  formally 
concluded,  then,"  he  said,  gayly.  "  We  are  to  be  good 
friends,  and  I  trust,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald,  that  if  you 
should  meet  me  again  in  the  Hohenwald  forest,  bound  foT 
the  Griinhagen  wood  by  the  shortest  way,  you  will  permit  me 
to  exchange  a  few  friendly  words  with  you." 

This  Celia  promised  readily;  but  at  the  same  time  she 
pointed  out  to  Kurt  that  he  never  would  reach  the  Griin- 
hagen wood  by  pursuing  a  path  leading  directly  to  the  lake 
in  the  Hohenwald  park,  and  offering  to  show  him  the  path 
he  was  seeking,  she  walked  her  horse  beside  him. 

She  never  dreamed  that  there  could  be  anything  unbe- 
coming in  her  readiness  to  show  him  the  right  way  through 
the  lonely  wood ;  she  thought  it  very  natural  that  she  who 
was  at  home  here  should  direct  a  stranger  aright,  and  quite 
at  her  ease,  she  chatted  on  to  Kurt  as  to  an  old  acquaintance. 

He  told  her  of  his  life  in  America,  and  spoke  with  such 
affection  of  his  parents,  who  had  been  dead  now  for  some 
years,  and  with  such  loving  tenderness  of  his  sisters,  who 
were  married  in  America,  that  Celia  could  not  but  be  inter- 
ested and  attracted  by  him.  He  told  her  how  he  had  served 
in  the  Northern  army  in  the  war  with  the  South,  attaining 
the  rank  of  major  before  it  was  over.  He  had  then  resigned, 
Q  0 


«'5W»S!fJ«»f^S 


98  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

and,  after  his  father's  death,  had  disposed  o£  the  Amer- 
ican property,  and  had  now  returned  to  Grermany  to  assist  in 
the  management  of  the  Griinhagen  estates,  which,  as  his 
uncle's  dechired  heir,  would  one  day  be  his.  He  had  spent 
a  few  months  in  travelling  in  England,  France,  and  Italy, 
and  had  arrived  only  three  days  before  in  Griinhagen,  where 
his  uncle  had  given  him  the  warmest  of  welcomes. 

All  this  Kurt  detailed  to  his  guide  on  their  way  through 
the  forest,  and  he  also  expressed  to  her  his  sincere  regret  that, 
as  his  uncle  had  told  him,  there  was  no  possibility  of  estab- 
lishing friendly  relations  between  Hohenwald  and  Griinhagen, 
and  that  he  himself  could  not  even  venture  to  pay  a  visit  to 
Hohenwald  to  show  that  he  had  inherited  nothing  of  the  old 
family  hatred. 

"  Oh,  no,  it  would  never  do,"  Celia  said,  sadly.  "  Papa 
would  be  terribly  angry  ;  his  orders  are  positive  that  no  vis- 
itor shall  ever  be  admitted  to  the  castle.  Arno  would  have 
liked  so  much  to  ask  his  dearest  ftiend,  a  Count  Styrum,  to 
stay  with  us ;  but,  although  papa  thinks  very  highly  of  the 
Count,  and  says  himself  that  he  must  be  an  excellent  man 
and  a  worthy  son  of  his  father,  who  was  once  papa's  dear 
ftiend,  he  could  not  be  induced  to  let  Arno  send  him  an 
invitation." 

"  Of  course,  then,  I  cannot  venture  to  come,  but  I  hope  at 
least  to  make  your  brother  Arno's  acquaintance ;  this  will 
surely  be  facilitated  by  his  being  an  intimate  friend  of  my 
cousin,  Karl  Styrum." 

Celia  shook  her  head  dubiously.  Arno  was  just  as  dear 
and  good  as  papa,  but  just  as  disinclined  to  come  in  contact 
with  strangers.  He  never  left  Castle  Hohenwald  except 
when  some  inspection  of  the  estate  was  necessary  ;  he  spent 
all  his  time  in  studying  learned  books. 

"  Are  you,  then,  quite  alone  in  the  lonely  castle  ?"  Kurt 
asked,  compassionately,  but  Celia  laughed  aloud  at  his  ques" 


pgj^jw^S^i^e^^gj^ras^s:--  ''t  w:r;r??TSf^f:-f^'??V'"e|^>"»:'^-5?g^^  ^  :^  ■  t'  ,,,•'  -y.  ■iS'^rm^    ■ ,    ■■         —    -'■  ■>'rT^-:  r"  -^sp!-^; 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  99 

don.  "  I  alone  and  lonely !"  she  cried.  "  What  can  you  be 
thinking  of?  I  have  my  own  darling  papa,  and  Arno,  who 
is  so  kind ;  you  cannot  conceive  how  kind  he  is.  Then  I 
have  my  tutor,  dear  old  Pastor  Quandt,  to  whom  I  go  every 
morning  from  nine  to  eleven ;  that  is,  I  always  have  gone  to 
him  until  now, — how  I  shall  do  in  the  future  I  cannot  tell, 
for  only  think,  now  in  my  old  age  I  am  to  have  a  governess." 

Kurt  laughed,  and  Celia  laughed  too,  but  the  laugh  did  not 
come  from  her  heart.  "  You  must  not  laugh  at  me,"  she 
said,  with  some  irritation.  "  I  am  afraid  I  have  said  some- 
thing that  I  ought  not.  Tell  me  frankly  and  honestly,  are 
my  manners  so  odd  that  I  really  need  a  governess?" 

"  What  a  very  strange  question,  Fraulein  vOn  Hohenwald  !" 

"  Answer  it  by  a  simple  *  yes'  or  '  no.'  Ought  I  to  have 
a  governess  or  not  ?" 

Kurt  looked  at  her,  with  a  smile.  "  Do  you  really  want  a 
frank  answer  ?"  he  replied. 

"  Of  course  I  do ;  it  would  provoke  me  very  much  not  to 
have  it !" 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  be  provoked  with  me  for  giving  it, 
but  I  will  do  as  you  ask.  In  truth,  I  think  you  might  learn 
much  of  a  really  good  governess,  and  that  she  would  do  you 
no  harm  in  spite  of  your  '  old  age.'  " 

"  How  odious  of  you  1" 

"  Did  I  not  say  that  I  should  provoke  you  by  my  fr^mk- 
ness?" 

"  No  ;  I  am  not  provoked  with  you,  quite  the  contrary.  I 
see  now  that  Werner  was  right.  If  you,  who  have  only 
known  me  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  see  that  I  need  a  governess, 
it  must  be  so.  But  here  we  are  on  the  borders  of  Griinhagen, 
and  there  is  the  path  that  will  lead  you  back  to  the  house." 

She  stopped  her  horse,  and  pointed  out  to  Kurt  with  her 
riding-whip  a  narrow  path,  so  grass-grown  that  it  could  have 
been  detected  only  by  some  one  very  familiar  with  the  locality- 


100  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  And  you  really  are  not  angry  ?"  Kurt  asked,  unpleasantly 
surprised  by  his  abrupt  dismissal. 

Celia  looked  thoughtful,  and  after  an  instant's  pause  held 
out  her  hand  to  Kurt.  "  No,  I  am  certainly  not  angry  with 
you,"  she  said,  cordially.  "  I  was  provoked,  I  do  not  deny  it, 
that  you  should  have  thought  Werner  right ;  but  you  meant 
no  unkindness,  I  am  sure,  or  you  would  not  have  been  so 
frank." 

"  I  assuredly  meant  nothing  but  kindness !" 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,  and  it  makes  me  all  the  more  sorry  that 
you  cannot  come  to  Hohenwald.  It  would  be  so  pleasant 
to  have  you  tell  me  more  about  America  and  your  adven- 
tures there.  But  that  cannot  be,  and  it  will  be  long  before 
we  see  each  other  again,  unless  we  should  meet  by  chance  in 
the  forest." 

"  I  trust  in  my  good  fortune." 

'■  Well,  we  may  possibly  chance  to  meet  again  soon,  since 
I  take  my  ride  almost  every  afternoon  about  this  hour,  and 
am  very  fond  of  the  broad  road  leading  towards  the  Grunhagen 
woods.     Adieu,  Herr  Kurt  von  Poseneck." 

"  Au  revoir,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald." 

She  gave  him  a  friendly  little  nod,  touched  her  horse  with 
the  whip,  and  vanished  in  a  minute  along  the  road  leading  to 
Castle  Hohenwald. 

Kurt  looked  ailer  her  vanishing  figure,  and  then  resigned 
himself  to  delightful  reflections.  Was  it  not  something  more 
than  chance  that  had  decreed  that  he,  who  had  found  his  way 
so  often  in  American  forests,  should  lose  it  here,  and  thus 
make  the  acquaintance  of  this  charming  girl  ? 

The  next  day  about  four  o'clock  Kurt  was  seized  with  an 
irresistible  desire  to  inspect  the  forests  ;  he  could  not  stay  in 
the  house ;  it  drove  him  forth,  much  to  his  uncle's  surprise, 
who,  however,  ascribed  it  to  the  love  of  nature  engendered  by 
his  life  in  the  open  air  in  America.     Kurt  did  not  this  time, 


T5^S^!^'wr'p©!"^5Ww5!?'r-'i"--™,/ _v/ ,^^  ■;■ -i      -  -..■'..     -'<5? 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  101 

however,  pursue  the  path  he  had  taken  on  the  previous  day ; 
he  remembered  the  ploughboy's  gaping  wonder,  and  did  not 
choose  to  become  a  theme  for  gossip  to  the  Hohenwald  ser- 
vants ;  he  followed,  instead,  the  more  direct  course  across  the 
Griinhagen  fields  to  the  woods,  but  scarcely  had  he  reached 
it,  when  chance  guided  him  to  the  very  spot  upon  the  broad 
road  leading  from  Castle  Hohenwald  where  he  had  been  so 
unfortunate  as  to  frighten  Celia's  horse. 
.  The  same  chance  that  led  Kurt  to  this  place  arranged  that 
Celia  also,  who  had  hitherto  been  very  careless  about  the  time  at 
which  she  took  her  afternoon  ride,  suddenly  required  her  horse 
to  be  saddled  on  the  stroke  of  four.  Old  John,  the  groom, 
could  not  imagine  why  Fraulein  Celia  should  all  at  once  be 
"  so  very  particular."  She  never  had  seemed  to  care  whether 
the  horse  were  brought  to  the  door  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
sooner  or  later,  and  now  she  insisted  sharply  upon  punctu- 
ality, although  it  was  the  Baron's  birthday,  and  the  old  ser- 
vant had  had  a  great  deal  to  do,  as  Fraulein  Celia  knew.  She 
could  scarcely  restrain  her  impatience  to  be  gone,  and  as  she 
galloped  off  down  the  road,  the  old  man  looked  after  her  with 
a  thoughtful  shake  of  the  head. 

"  We  may  possibly  chance  to  meet  again  soon,"  Celia  had 
said  to  Kurt  as  she  took  leave  of  him,  and  chance  conducted 
her  to  the  very  spot  where  she  had  met  him  yesterday,  and 
where  she  now  met  him  again.  From  afar  she  espied  his 
light  coat  among  the  trees,  and  her  lovely  face  was  lit  up  with 
a  happy  smile.  ' 

Had  she  expected  him  ?  Impossible  !  She  had  made  no 
appointment  with  him.  She  knew  enough  of  social  rules  to 
understand  that  a  young  lady  could  not  appoint  a  rendezvous 
with  a  young  man  whom  she  had  seen  but  once,  and  then 
only  for  a  short  time.  Of  course  it  was  chance  that  had 
brought  them  both  to  this  spot  at  the  same  time,  but  she  was 
very  glad  of  it,  and  greeted  Kurt  with  a  charming  smile. 

Q* 


"V-  -,'.  >'-r:fiS:;'|^  *^ 


102  CASTLE  HOIIENWALD. 

It  was  quite  natural  tliat  slie  should  now  walk  her  horse 
that  Kurt  might  walk  beside  her,  although  it  cost  her  a 
Btruggle  with  Pluto  to  induce  him  to  agree  to  this  new 
order  of  things.  Kurt  walked  beside  her,  looking  up  at  her 
with  admiration.  How  graceful  was  her  every  movement  as 
she  reined  in  and  controlled  her  impatient  horse  !  She  held 
the  curb  in  a  firm  grasp,  but  there  was  nothing  unfeminine 
in  the  strength  thus  put  forth.  For  a  while  her  whole  at- 
tention was  given  to  her  horse,  but  when  she  had  reduced 
him  to  a  state  of  obedient  quiescence  she  replied  kindly  to 
Kurt's  greeting,  and  when  he  expressed  his  pleasure  that  a 
fortunate  chance  had  again  brought  them  together,  she  an- 
swered, with  perfect  freedom  from  embarrassment,  that  she 
also  was  much  pleased.  As  she  spoke,  her  smile  was  so  arch 
that  he  could  not  but  laugh.  And  then  they  laughed  together 
like  two  children.  They  knew  well  what  made  them  laugh, 
although  they  said  no  more  about  it. 

It  sounded  almost  like  an  excuse  when  Celia  said  that  she 
had  come  from  home  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later  than 
usual  this  afternoon,  old  John  had  been  so  long  saddling 
Pluto,  but  that  she  could  not  scold  him,  for  he  was  very  old 
now,  almost  seventy,  and  he  had  been  up  half  the  night  helping 
her  to  hang  oaken  garlands  all  about  her  father's  beloved 
garden-room,  that  he  might  be  surprised  by  their  beauty  when 
Franz  rolled  him  in  from  his  bedroom  at  five  o'clock  on  his 
birthday  morning.  And  her  father  had  been  very  much  de- 
lighted,— he  so  loved  his  oaks, — and  he  had  been  specially 
pleased  with  a  tobacco-bag  that  she  had  embroidered  for  him 
as  a  birthday  gift.  He  was  not  very  fond  of  embroidery,  but 
he  knew  how  hard  it  was  for  her  to  sit  still  at  any  kind  of 
work,  and  he  had  been  touched  by  the  trouble  she  had  taken 
for  him. 

Thus  Celia  talked  on,  and  Kurt  listened  with  rapt  atten- 
tion, as  if  she  were  imparting  to  him  the  most  important 


ffs^^w^s^     '*^.  ^r?r^ir'."",w  ■■       -*     \   f^-^ '' '•  ■''-^^^yTf^rr^^ir^'^f-^f^^jT^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  103 

secrets.  Her  delight  in  the  garlands  of  oak-leaves  and  in  the 
completion  of  her  gift  for  her  father  charmed  him.  He 
thought  her  almost  more  lovely  now  than  when,  a  few  mo- 
ments before,  her  eyes  had  sparkled  and  flashed  in  her  strug- 
gle with  her  horse.  He  did  not  know  which  to  admire  more, 
the  blooming  girl  or  the  lovely  child  ;  he  only  knew  that  both 
were  adorable. 

On  the  day  previous,  Kurt  had  told  of  his  adventures  in 
the  war  and  his  life  in  America ;  to-day  he  begged  Celia  to 
describe  to  him  her  life  in  Castle  HohenwaJd,  and  she  did  so 
willingly.  She  was  glad  that  Kurt  should  have  in  his  mind 
a  true  picture  of  her  dear  old  father,  whom  strangers  could 
never  portray  truly,  for  no  one  knew  how  dear  and  good  he 
was.  Amo  too,  Frau  Kaselitz  and  Pastor  Quandt  had  often 
told  her,  was  just  as  little  known  or  appreciated  as  his  father. 
She  had  seen  yesterday,  from  the  compassionate  way  in  which 
Kurt  had  spoken  of  her  solitude  at  Castle  Hohenwald,  how 
false  was  his  conception  of  the  life  there ;  now,  strangers  might 
think  what  they  pleased  of  it,  but  Kurt  von  Poseneck  must 
know  what  happy  days  she  led  there  with  her  kind  papa  and 
her  dear  Arno. 

And  so  she  described  it  to  him,  beginning  with  her  father, 
so  truly  kind,  although  a  little  hasty  perhaps  now  and  then, 
bearing  pain  so  patiently,  never  requiring  any  sacrifice  of  hia 
people,  but  always  ready  to  befriend  them.  All  who  knew 
him  loved  him.  The  old  servants  declared  that  there  never 
was  a  better  master ;  even  the  Herr  Pastor  had  a  great  respect 
for  him,  and  only  regretted  that  he  had  withdrawn  from  the 
world,  and  was  in  consequence  so  misjudged.  Amo,  too,  was 
as  kind  as  he  could  be.  He  might  look  stern  and  gloomy, 
but  he  was  not  so, — only  very  sad, — and  for  this  he  had  good 
cause.  He  had  been  betrothed,  and  had  lost  his  love,  of 
whom  he  was  inexpressibly  fond.  Celia  did  not  know  how 
it  had  happened.     Frau  Kaselitz  would  not  tell  her  anything 


104  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

about  it,  and  she  could  not  ask  Arno,  for  when  the  engago 
ment  had  been  broken  some  years  before,  her  father  had  for- 
bidden her  ever  mentioning  the  subject  to  her  brother.  He 
had  travelled  for  a  long  time,  but  travel  could  not  make  him 
forget  his  grief;  that  was  why  he  seemed  so  stern  and  gloomy, 
although  he  was  always  gentle  and  kind  to  his  father,  to  her, 
and  to  the  servants  and  villagers.  If  any  of  them  were  in 
trouble  they  always  came  to  Arno  for  help  ;  and  even  when 
it  was  impossible  to  help  them  he  always  had  a  kind  word 
for  them. 

Celia's  praise  of  her  eldest  brother  was  by  no  means  so 
enthusiastic.  He  was  a  very  good  fellow,  but  then  he  was 
not  Arno  ;  still,  he  was  very  wise,  and  could  always  persuade 
his  father  to  do  as  he  chose.  She  had  been  told  that  in  his 
boyhood  Werner  was  very  irritable  and  passionate,  but  he  had 
quite  conquered  this  fault.  Now  he  rarely  allowed  himself  to 
be  carried  away  by  anger ;  his  self-control  was  so  great  that 
even  when  he  was  deeply  irritated  he  could  preserve  a  perfect 
calmness  of  manner,  and  this  was  why  he  had  such  influence 
with  his  father,  that  whatever  he  wished  to  have  done  at 
Hohenwald  was  done.  If  he  did  not  succeed  in  one  way  he 
tried  another.  Thus  he  had  contrived  that  in  spite  of  his 
father's  dislike  of  having  a  stranger  in  the  house  hp  had 
consented  to  the  engagement  of  a  governess. 

As  she  said  this  Celia  could  not  suppress  a  Uttle  sigh,  al- 
though she  instantly  laughed,  and  added,  "  Well,  it  may  be 
best, — you  think  so,  and  I  will  do  what  I  can,  and  receive 
Fraulein  Miiller  as  kindly  as  possible." 

Werner,  she  went  on  to  say,  came  but  seldom  to  Hohen 
wald,  usually  only  once  a  year,  to  be  present  on  his  father's 
birthday,  when  he  stayed  only  two,  or  at  most  three  weeks. 
He  was  always  very  good  and  kind,  but  she  could  not  love 
him  as  she  did  papa  and  Arno ;  she  could  not  tell  why,  but 
80  it  was,  and  she  could  not  deny  that  she  was  always  a 


,.';?«:SK;V;'^-!W''-r™^*fi^,^;aB^J';(r.^!T?«^    'Jf'^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  105 

little  glad  when  he  went  away  again.  She  was  quite  siire 
that  papa  and  Amo  felt  just  as  she  did,  although  neither  of 
them  had  ever  said  one  word  to  that  eflFect,  but  she  had  ob- 
served that  papa  breathed  more  freely  after  the  carriage  had 
rolled  away  with  Werner. 

Then  Celia  described  the  few  people,  not  her  relatives, 
with  whom  she  had  daily  intercourse — Pastor  Quandt,  her 
tutor,  an  old  bachelor  nearly  eighty  years  of  age,  but  still 
hale  and  hearty,  and  dear  and  good,  and  Dr.  Bruhn,  the  vil- 
lage physician,  also  an  amiable  old  bachelor,  and  Frau  Kase- 
litz,  the  housekeeper,  who  could  not  do  enough  to  show  her 
love  for  her  darling  Fraulein  Celia.  She,  Frau  Kaselitz,  was 
the  chUdless  widow  of  one  of  the  former  stewards  of  Hohen- 
wald,  and  had  passed  her  entire  life  either  in  the  village  or 
at  the  castle.  She  was  as  good  as  gold ;  far  too  kind ;  she, 
Celia,  knew  that  Frau  Kaselitz  spoiled  her  and  made  a  gov- 
erness so  desirable — as  he  had  thought  it,  the  girl  added,  with 
an  arch  glance  at  her  companion.  She  could  not  deny  her- 
self the  pleasure  of  this  little  thrust. 

Celia's  lively  description  soon  made  it  possible  for  Kurt  to 
have  in  his  mind  a  vivid  picture  of  the  simple  life  at  Castle 
Hohenwald,  and  his  admiration  for  the  lovely  speaker  was 
increased  tenfold.  What  a  treasure  of  simple  content  she 
must  possess,  to  preserve  such  a  cheerful  gayety  of  mind 
with  so  little  in  her  surroundings  to  induce  it ! 

A  long  conversation  followed  upon  Celia's  narrative ;  she 
required,  in  her  turn,  to  be  told  of  Griinhagen  and  its  in- 
mates. She  asked  about  his  uncle  Friese,  and  was  amazed 
to  learn  that  he  was  an  amiable,  kindly  old  man,  who  only 
desired  to  live  at  peace  with  all  men.  According  to  Frau 
Kaselitz  and  the  Hohenwald  servants,  he  was  a  cross,  quar- 
relsome,  purse-proud  old  person. 

In  such  mutual  explanations  the  time  sped  rapidly,  and 
Celia,  as  well  as  Kurt,  was  sui  prised  to  find  that  thev  had 


"  *^wi||,«f"f: 


106  CASTLE  HOBENWALD. 

reached  the  Griinhagen  woods  and  the  end  of  the  broad  road 
that  led  through  the  Hohenwald  estate. 

"  It  is  time  for  me  to  turn  back,"  said  Celia,  with  a  slight 
sigh. 

Kurt  did  not  venture  to  remonstrate,  although  he  felt  as 
if  he  should  have  liked  to  talk  on  with  her  forever,  and 
although  in  Celia's  manner  there  was  an  indirect  appetd  to 
him  to  ask  for  a  prolongation  of  the  conversation. 

"  Indeed  I  must  turn  round,"  Celia  added,  with  an  inter- 
rogatory glance. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  must,"  Kurt  replied,  suppressing  his 
desire,  and  yielding  to  more  prudent  suggestions.  Then, 
holding  out  his  hand  to  Celia,  he  continued :  "  Chance  has 
been  so  kind  to-day  that  I  trust  it  will  prove  no  less  so  in  the 
future,  and  so  I  do  not  say  '  farewell'  to  you,  Fraulein  von 
Hohenwald,  but  '  till  we  meet,'  and  may  that  be  speedily  I" 

Celia  smiled  as  she  nodded  her  farewell  to  him,  and  rode 
back  along  the  forest  road  ;  and  on  the  following  day  chance 
was  again  so  amiable  as  to  bring  about  a  meeting  between  the 
young  people  at  the  same  spot  in  the  woods.  Yes,  chance 
here  proved  steadfast  and  true,  and  day  after  day  the  pair 
passed  slowly  along  the  forest  road  to  the  Griinhagen  woods, 
deep  in  innocent  but  profoundly  interesting  conversation. 
Kurt  was  on  th*»  spot  with  unfailing  punctuality  at  four 
o'clock,  and  a  few  minutes  later  Celia  would  appear  on  Pluto, 
who  now  greeted  Kurt  with  a  neigh,  and  was  no  longer  im- 
patient at  the  slow  walk  along  the  road  to  the  Griinhagen 
woods.  For  ten  days  the  skies  smiled  upon  Kurt's  forest 
walks,  but  then  M^y,  which  had  hitherto  shown  him  such 
favour,  justified  the  reputation  for  variability  which  she 
shares  with  April. 

At  Griinhagen  9  cold  rain  pelted  against  the  window- 
panes,  through  which  Kurt  disconsolately  watched  the  skies, 
covered  with  dull  gjay  clouds  that  gave  no  hope  that  the 


'»™in^r«^ris3ij;^ipgpiia^fr5r"'=«=^  '^'^''^ff^v^?''v^a'T^t^^mi-?f^^^e»''i^iti^^f^^     >^^^S^gBpPP-^ '         '^'y'sS^Pf 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  107 

weather  would  dear  that  day,  nor  perhaps  for  several  days  to 
come. 

The  Amtsrath  had  just  finished  his  after-dinner  nap  and 
lighted  his  long  pipe.  Sitting  in  his  arm-chair  and  comfort- 
ably sipping  his  cofiFee,  he  was  not  in  the  least  incommoded 
by  the  rain  that  so  interfered  with  Kurt's  good  humour ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  thought  it  good  growing  weather,  for 

"  Whenever  May  is  wet  and  cool, 
The  farmer's  store-house  will  be  full," 

He  had  often  lately  looked  up  to  the  sky  in  hopes  of  rain, 
and  he  was  glad  that  it  had  come  at  last  to  scatter  abroad  its 
blessings  over  field  and  fell. 

"  A  fine  soaking  rain,"  the  old  man  said,  with  a  smile,  to 
Kurt,  who,  he  felt  sure,  must  agree  with  him. 

"  Soaking  indeed,"  Kurt  replied,  not  by  any  means  so 
pleased  as  his  uncle  had  expected ;  but  then  the  old  man  was 
thinking  of  his  meadows  and  Kurt  of  Celia,  whom  the  soak- 
ing rain  would  surely  prevent  from  taking  her  daily  ride. 

The  clock  in  the  Griinhagen  church-tower  struck  four; 
Kurt  took  his  hat. 

"  Where  are  you  going?"  asked  his  uncle. 

"  To  take  a  walk  in  the  woods." 

"  In  such  weather?" 

"  A  few  drops  of  rain  will  do  me  no  harm." 

The  Amtsrath  shook  his  head,  for  the  few  drops  of  rain 
were,  as  Kurt  himself  had  admitted,  a  steady,  soaking  down- 
pour. Still  there  is  no  accounting  for  tastes,  and  if  forest 
walks  in  a  pelting  rain  were  among  Kurt's  American  habits, 
his  rncle  had  no  objection  to  make. 

As  Kurt  stepped  out  into  the  open  air,  and  the  huge  drops 
were  driven  into  his  face  by  the  wind,  he  hesitated  a  moment. 
There  was  no  possibility  of  meeting  Celia  in  the  forest  in  such 
a  storm.     Still,  suppose  she  should  persist  in  taking  her  ride  ? 


f+ 


108  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

It  was  possible ;  no,  it  was  impossible ;  nevertbeless,  Kurt 
would  not  fail  to  be  upon  the  appointed — no,  it  had  never 
been  appointed — spot  in  the  forest ;  he  could  then  tell  her 
the  next  day  that  he  had  been  there  in  spite  of  the  storm  and 
rain,  that  he  had  not,  indeed,  expected  her,  but  that  he  had 
thought  of  her.  He  knew  that  she  would  laugh  at  him  and 
tease  him  about  his  walk  in  the  rain,  but  he  so  liked  to  hear 
her  laugh,  she  was  so  wonderfully  charming  in  her  gayety. 

In  spite  of  the  increasing  rain  that  soon  penetrated  his 
light  summer  dress,  the  way  did  not  seem  long ;  he  thought 
of  her,  and  perhaps  because  he  had  no  hope  of  seeing  her 
that  day  her  image  was  all  the  more  present  to  his  mind. 
During  the  past  ten  days  a  very  peculiar  relation  had  been 
developed  between  Kurt  and  Celia.  While  Kurt  sauntered 
along  the  forest  road  beside  Pluto  they  talked  together  like 
brother  and  sister.  Celia  was  never  tired  of  hearing  all  that 
Kurt  could  tell  her  of  America  and  the  life  he  had  led  there, 
and  his  conversation  had  opened  to  her  an  entire  new  world  of 
thought  and  emotion.  Brought  up  in  a  narrow  home-circle, 
whence  all  strangers  were  excluded,  the  girl  had  had  no  idea 
that  people  of  culture  could  entertain  any  views  and  opinions 
save  those  shared  by  her  father,  by  Arno,  and  by  the  old 
pastor  her  tutor.  It  was,  for  example,  one  of  her  articles 
of  faith  that  across  the  boundary,  just  beyond  that  strip  of 
meadow  in  Prussia,  evil  reigned  triumphant.  Prussian ! 
The  word  stood  for  all  that  was  contemptible, — rapacity,  low 
ambition,  greed  of  gain,  and  arrogant  conceit.  Like  a  good 
Saxon,  Celia  hated  the  Prussians  from  her  very  soul,  and 
worst  and  most  to  be  hated  among  them  all  was  Bismarck, 
whose  name  her  father  never  uttered  without  coupling  it  with 
some  opprobrious  epithet.  Kurt  was  the  first  to  present  to 
her  mind  other  views  with  regard  to  the  state  of  aflPairs  in 
Germany,  and  she  listened  to  him  with  profound  interest.  It 
was  exquisite  enjoyment  to  Kurt  to  talk  with  Celia,  and  to 


^■'V'^'':}"f-^?<^$^^'''-'     -■'.-'.•■--'---•:;,.,-•    .  ,>,^?-.r:^J5-:vS^J^-'--- -';--.:,:■■   ;-     ■■■;-:,    -^JP^----  ~S;'-f^,.<~'r-.<Jf:a5R 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  109 

note  her  rapt  attention  to  all  that  he  said,  her  quick  espousal 
of  any  cause  advocated  by  him.  He  loved  her,  and  he  knew 
that  he  loved  her,  but  not  for  the  world  would  he  have 
addressed  to  her  one  word  of  love ;  it  would  have  been  a 
ein  against  her  childlike  innocence.  His  experience  of  life, 
spite  of  his  youth,  had  been  so  wide  and  varied  that  he  could 
not  but  be  aware  what  risk  there  was  for  Celia  in  these 
daily  interviews  with  a  young  man  in  the  solitude  of  the 
forest ;  and  could  he  have  seen  her  anywhere  else,  could  he 
but  have  sought  her  at  Hohenwald,  he  would  have  abstained 
from  his  daily  walks  for  Celia's  sake.  But  they  offered  him 
his  only  opportunity  for  meeting  the  girl,  and  he  had  not  the 
strength  to  refuse  to  embrace  it.  He  could  not  but  yield  to 
the  spell  that  lured  him  daily  to  the  forest  road,  but  he 
pledged  his  honour  to  himself  that  he  would  be  nothing  to 
Celia  save  a  Mend  and  brother,  that  he  never  would  betray 
the  childlike  trust  she  reposed  in  him. 

Now  first  he  felt  what  an  absolute  necessity  for  him  the 
daily  meeting  with  Celia  had  become, — now,  as  he  walked  on 
in  the  wind  and  rain,  constantly  repeating  to  himself  that  she 
certainly  could  not  leave  the  house  to-day.  In  spite  of  this 
repetition,  a  yearning  desire  for  a  sight  of  her  spurred  him  on 
along  the  accustomed  path.  He  never  heeded  that  in  push- 
ing through  the  trees  and  bushes  he  had  become  fairly 
drenched  with  rain.  He  reached  the  broad  castle  road :  the 
distant  wing  of,  the  castle,  a  glimpse  of  which  could  be  had 
from  here  in  fine  weather,  was  veiled  in  mist  Sadly  he 
leaned  against  the  trunk  of  a  giant  oak,  conscious  that  until 
this  moment  he  had  cherished  a  hope  that  perhaps  in  spite 
of  the  rain  Celia  might  take  her  afternoon  ride ;  she  was  no 
city-bred  fine  lady,  but  a  strong,  healthy  child  of  nature,  who 
was  not  a&aid  of  the  rain.  Now,  however,  as  he  looked 
forth  into  the  comfortless,  white,  impenetrable  fog,  his  lasr 
hope  vanished. 

10 


■'"■  Tt'-"  ■■:'''*r^.°*V^'"-'f^i|'' 


110  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

But  what  sound  was  that  ?  Surely  something  like  the  dis« 
tant  neighing  of  a  horse.  And  now — yes,  there  wjvs  no  mis- 
taking Pluto's  loud  neigh,  close  at  hand,  as  a  tall  figure 
emerged  from  the  fog,  and  the  next  moment  Celia  reined  in 
her  horse  beside  Kurt. 

"  I  thought  so  !"  she  cried,  triumphantly.  "  I  knew  you 
would  not  mind  the  rain  !"'  Then,  as  she  looked  at  him,  she 
burst  into  a  merry  laugh.  "  Good  heavens  !  how  you  look, 
poor  fellow  !  You  could  not  be  wetter  if  you  had  fallen  into 
the  lake !" 

Kurt  laughed  with  her.  How  odd  it  was  that  the  huge 
waterproof  that  she  wore  detracted  not  a  whit  from  her 
beauty  and  grace  !  A  gray  waterproof  can  scarcely  be  called 
an  elegant  garment,  but  Celia  looked  lovely  in  this  one.  Her 
fresh  rosy  face  smiled  enchantingly  from  out  of  the  hood  that 
she  had  drawn  over  her  head,  and  from  beneath  which  tiny 
curls  were  rebelliously  fluttering  out  into  the  wind  and  rain. 

"  It  certainly  is  a  '  fine,  soaking  rain,'  as  my  uncle  says," 
Kurt  rejoined,  laughing.  "  It  has  drenched  me,  but  I  have 
maay  a  time  tramped  through  a  wood  in  worse  weather  than 
this,  and  even  slept  soundly  on  a  hill-side  in  just  such  a  pour, 
with  only  a  soldier's  blanket  over  me.  The  rain  can  do  me 
no  harm,  but  you,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald,  are  very  wrong 
to  come  abroad  in  such  weather." 

"  And  yet  you  expected  me  to  do  it." 

"  No  ;  I  was  sure  you  would  prudently  stay  at  home.  It 
is  no  weather  for  you  to  ride  in." 

"  No  ?  Still,  here  I  am,  you  see.  Neither  Pluto  nor  I 
ever  mind  the  rain ;  but  then  we  are  neither  of  us  at  all  pru- 
dent. And  besides,  you  do  not  tell  the  truth.  Why  are  you 
here  if  you  thought  I  should  not  come  ?  I  had  more  confi- 
dence in  you.  I  knew  I  should  find  you  here,  and  I  should 
have  been  terribly  angry  if  you  had  stayed  away  for  the  rain. 
For  indeed  I  had  to  see  you  to-day.     I  have  so  much  to  tell 


!5^p^.:5^jP^J|p^.^^^«»-tf^^-^.S»5^sP!53^i5l5i^^  -r-s^-E5|p^.^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  HI 

you.  Only  think,  the  new  governess  is  really  coming  this 
evening !" 

"  Indeed  ?     Then  the  Finanzrath  has  carried  his  point." 

"  Of  course ;  just  as  he  always  does.  He  wrote  to  Frau- 
lein  Miiller,  and  sent  the  letter  to  Frau  von  Adelung  in  Dres- 
den. I  could  not  help  hoping  that  the  Fraulein  would  decline 
to  come,  for  papa  consented  to  Werner's  plan  only  upon  con- 
dition that  he  should  truthfully  describe  the  life  she  would 
have  to  lead  at  Castle  Hohenwald.  Werner  did  so.  He  read 
his  lettw  aloud  to  papa,  Amo,  and  me,  and  I  must  confess  he 
did  not  flatter  any  one  of  us.  If  I  had  been  Fraulein  Miiller 
I  never  would  have  said  '  yes'  to  such  a  letter." 

"  Did  he  give  so  terrible  a  description  of  the  castle  and  its 
inmates  ?" 

"  The  castle  and  all  of  us.  He  made  Amo  out  a  gloomy 
woman-hater,  and  called  me  a  spoiled  child.  Was  it  not 
odious  of  him  ?" 

"  He  meant  no  wrong." 

"  Oh,  I  know  you  agree  with  him !  Now,  confess  honestly 
that  you  think  me  a  spoiled  child,  or  rather  do  not  confess  it, 
or  we  shall  be  sure  to  quarrel.  Let  me  tell  you  more.  Wer- 
ner told  Fraulein  Miiller  that  at  Castle  Hohenwald  she  would 
be  cut  oS  from  all  social  intercourse,  that  she  could  neither 
receive  nor  pay  visits,  and  that  the  family  circle  there  could 
not  indemnify  her  for  such  seclusion,  since  neither  papa  nor 
Amo  was  an  agreeable  companion.  In  short,  he  painted  exist- 
ence here  in  such  gloomy  colours  that  papa  said  Fraulein 
Miiller  must  be  a  very  extraordinary  person  if  she  accepted 
such  a  situation.  But  she  has  accepted  it.  Her  answer  came 
to-day, — a  very  odd  reply.  Papa  and  Amo,  as  well  as  Werner, 
shook  their  heads  over  it.  They  could  not  make  it  out.  So 
it  is  no  wonder  that  I  cannot  comprehend  it  either.  I  have 
brought  it  t<»  you  to  read,  that  you  may  tell  me  what  you 
think  of  it." 


ri 


112  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

''  You  have  brought  me  the  letter  ?"  Kurt  asked,  in  sur- 
prise. 

"  Why,  yes  ;  I  know  you  always  tell  me  the  truth  when  J 
ask  you  for  it,  and  when  Werner  gave  me  the  letter  I  thought 
to  myself,  '  Herr  Kurt  von  Poseneck  shall  read  it ;'  so  I  kept 
it  and  brought  it  with  me.  There,  read  it ;  but  be  caieful 
not  to  let  it  get  wet.  Wait  a  moment ;  I  will  hold  my  water- 
proof out  so  as  to  shield  it  from  the  rain." 

Celia  handed  Kurt  the  letter  and  protected  it  with  her 
cloak  while  he  read  it.  , 

"An  excellent  hand,"  he  said,  as  he  opened  it:  "firm  and 
clear.  They  say  that  the  handwriting  shows  the  character 
of  the  writer ;  if  that  be  true,  this  letter  should  impress  one 
greatly  in  Fr'aulein  Miiller's  favour." 

"  That  is  just  what  Arno  said ;  only  he  added, '  Only  to  be 
the  more  bitterly  undeceived  afterwards.'  But  read,  read,  I 
beg  you, — I  am  so  anxious  to  know  what  you  think  of  the 
letter." 

Kurt  read  the  short  note,  which  ran  as  follows  : 

"  Dear  Sir, — Your  description  of  the  life  at  Castle  Ho- 
lienwald  so  perfectly  accords  with  my  wishes  and  inclinations 
that  I  accept  with  pleasure  the  honourable  position  offered 
me  of  companion  and  teacher  to  Fraulein  Cecilia  von  Hohen 
wald.  I  shall  arrive  at  the  station  at  A by  the  after- 
noon train,  at  a  quarter-past  eight  on  the  seventeenth,  hoping 
to  meet  the  carriage  which  you  tell  me  will  be  sent  for  mo 
from  Hohenwald. 

"  With  much  respect, 

"Anna  Mulleb." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  it?"  Cecilia  asked,  eagerly. 
"  It  does  not  seem  odd  to  me  at  all.     I  think  it  simple 
Jear,  and  decided." 


^^^iPalvP'WPf^'f'^^  "^^^^^^  '^?a^^f»^'T*^r  '^  ""•^i'^^'^p^  ^-^ 


fSASTLE  HOHENWALD.  113 

"  But  what  does  she  mean  by  saying  that  Werner's  ugly 
description  of  the  life  here  accords  with  her  views  and  in- 
clinations ?  Amo  says  that  most  be  a  falsehood ;  that  no 
girl  could  like  such  a  place,  and  that  Fr&olein  Miiller  must 
be  a  false,  exaggerated  person  to  say  that  she  accepts  such  a 
position  with  pleasure.  Papa  thought  the  same ;  and  even 
Werner  said  that  the  brevity  of  the  note  impressed  him  dis- 
agreeably, while  Amo  insisted  that  its  short,  decided  tone,  its 
want  of  all  conventional  courtesy,  was  the  only  thing  in  it  to 
recommend  it.     What  do  you  think  ?" 

"  I  think  we  should  be  overhasty  in  adopting  a  prejudice 
against  the  lady  upon  reading  her  short  note,  which  to  my 
mind  contains  nothing  to  inspire  it.  Why  should  we  dis- 
trust her  declaration  that  the  life  in  Castle  Hohenwald  is  to 
her  taste  ?  K  it  were  not  so,  could  she  not  decline  the  posi- 
tion offered  her  ?  It  certainly  speaks  well  for  her  that  she 
makes  use  of  no  stupid  conventional  phrases,  and  she  shows 
a  correct  appreciation  of  her  duties  towards  you,  Fraulein 
von  Hohenwald,  in  calling  herself  not  your  governess,  but 
your  companion  and  teacher.  I  really  cannot  see  any  reason 
why  you  should  form  an  unfavourable  opinion  of  Fraulein 
Mtiller.  Take  my  advice  and  receive  her  after  your  own 
frank,  cordial  fashion.  Do  not  be  swayed  by  your  brother 
Amo's  (pardon  me)  unjustifiable  prejudice,  but  see  and  judge 
for  yourself,  and  you  will  be  sure  to  judge  righdy." 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  Celia  said,  cheerftdly.  "  I  knew  you  would 
give  me  good  coimsel,  and  I  shall  follow  it.  But  now,"  she 
continued,  with  a  sudden  gravity,  ''we  must  discuss  one 
point  which  I  have  never  ceased  to  think  of  since  the  letter 
arrived  to-day.  What  will  become  of  my  beloved  liberty  ? 
Is  it  not  lost  from  the  moment  that  Fraulein  Mtiller  arrives 
at  Castle  Hohenwald?" 

"  It  may  be  somewhat  restricted,  and  is  it  not  perhaps  best 
that  it  should  be  so,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald  ?" 

H  ia» 


^■■^"53^; 


114  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Ah,  you  are  thinking  again  that  I  need  a  governess 
You  will  make  me  seriously  angry.  I  am  not  a  child,  and  I 
will  not  have  my  liberty  restricted !  I  am  willing  to  learn. 
I  will  sit  still  for  hours  and  play  the  piano  every  day,  but  I 
will  not  be  put  into  leading-strings.  It  is  not  kind  of  you  to 
wish  it  for  me,  Herr  von  Poseneck.  What  will  become  of 
my  afternoon  rides  if  Fraulein  Miiller  thinks  it  unbecoming 
for  a  young  lady  to  roam  about  the  forest  alone  ?" 

Celia's  words  told  a  joint  in  Kurt's  armour ;  had  he  not 
oft«n  reflected  that  the  propriety  of  these  rides  was  question- 
able ?  It  was  hard  for  him  to  carry  out  his  resolve  of  always 
being  frank  and  true  towards  Celia,  but  be  did  it.  With  a 
sigh,  he  replied,  "  Fraulein  Miiller  would  not  be  far  wrong 
if  she  did  think  so." 

Celia  suddenly  reined  in  her  horse,  and  looking  down  at 
Kurt  with  eyes  large  with  wonder,  she  said,  in  a  tone  express- 
ing painful  regret,  "  And  you  tell  me  this?" 

"  Yes,  Fraulein  Celia,"  and  for  the  first  time  he  avoided 
the  formal  Von  Hohenwald ;  "  yes,  I  tell  you  so,  because  I 
always  will  be  honest  and  true  to  you." 

Celia  made  no  reply  ;  she  urged  Pluto  into  a  walk  again, 
and  rode  beside  Kurt  in  silence.  She  had  never  reflected 
whether  these  meetings  in  the  forest  were  becoming.  She  had 
made  no  appointments  with  Kurt,  but  chance — no,  it  had 
not  been  chance  entirely  ailer  the  first  meeting ;  she  knew 
that  she  should  meet  him,  but  she  could  not  reproach  herself 
with  having  made  any  appointments.  She  was  quite  blame- 
less. Quite?  Why,  then,  had  she  never  mentioned  these 
daily  meetings  at  home  in  Castle  Hohenwald  ?  Why  had 
she  never  uttered  the  name  of  Kurt  von  Poseneck  to  her 
father  or  Arno,  and  never  even  said  a  word  when  Amo 
had  casually  mentioned  the  fact  that  a  son  of  the  Poseneck 
who  had  emigrated  to  America  had  returned,  and  was  living 
at  Griinhagen  with  the  Amtsrath,  whose  heir  report  said 


sry?"5'!;r?^sf«5?3P^' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  lift 

he  was  to  be  ?  Her  father,  Ariio,  and  Werner  had  discussed 
the  Posenecks  at  some  length ;  why  had  she  never  said  a  word, 
although  she  could  easily  have  set  them  right  upon  several 
points  ?  Hitherto  she  had  simply  followed  her  impulse  to 
see  Kurt,  whom  she  liked  so  much,  daily;  but  now,  sud- 
denly, she  became  aware  that  something  about  these  meetings 
was  not  just  as  it  should  be. 

After  a  long  pause,  she  said,  dejectedly,  "  I  think  you  are 
rigiht,  Herr  Kurt ;  I  have  acted  very  unbecomingly ;  but  then 
we  never  made  any  appointments,  and  it  waa  so  pleasant  to 
meet  by  chance.  You  have  told  me  so  much  to  interest  me, 
I  could  always  listen  to  you  for  hours ;  but  if  you  think  it 
improper,  I  will  not  ride  on  the  forest  road  again.  It  will  be 
hard,  for  lately  I  have  looked  forward  all  the  forenoon  to 
this  hour  of  talk  with  you." 

The  girl's  childlike,  innocent  frankness  enchanted  Kurt , 
he  yielded  to  an  irresistible  impulse  to  seize  and  kiss  the 
hand  that  hung  down  near  him.  Then,  startled  at  what 
he  had  done,  he  instantly  dropped  it,  while  Celia,  not  in  the 
least  startled,  looked  at  him  with  a  happy  smile. 

"  Is  it  really  so  wrong  for  us  to  spend  one  short  hour  here 
every  day  talking  together?"  she  asked,  looking  down  kindly 
into  his  face 

He  coula  not  withstand  the  magic  of  her  look ;  all  the 
wise  rules  that  he  had  laid  down  for  himself  melted  in  the 
light  of  her  eyes  like  snow  before  the  sun.  "  No,  dearest 
Celia !  A  thousand  times  no  !"  he  cried,  rapturously.  "  I 
swear  to  you  by  my  honour  that  you  never  shall  have  any 
cause  to  regret  your  confidence  in  me.  I  will  not  ask  you  to 
continue  your  rides, — you  shall  not  promise  me  to  do  so, — but 
I  will  be  here  awaiting  you  every  day ;  nothing  shall  prevent 
me.  Although  you  should  stay  away  for  weeks,  you  will  find 
me  here  whenever  you  come  at  this  hour." 

"  And  you  shall  not  await  me  in  vain,"  Celia  replied ;  and 


'•^fHWW^T 


116  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

as  she  leaned  down  towards  Mm  their  lips  met  for  one  instant 
in  a  fleeting  kiss.  Then  she  suddenly  wheeled  her  horse 
about  and  was  gone. 

Kurt  stood  for  a  while  motionless.  Long  after  the  lovely 
rider  had  vanished  in  the  gloom  he  still  saw  her  in  spirit,  and 
felt  her  kiss  upon  his  lips.  He  hardly  noticed  that  the  rain, 
which  had  ceased  for  a  few  minutes,  was  pouring  down  with 
renewed  violence  ;  that  a  sharp  wind  was  blowing,  colder  than 
before.  He  stood  like  one  entranced  in  the  lonely  forest,  and, 
when  unconsciously  he  turned  towards  home,  he  never  heard 
the  howling  of  the  tempest.  Not  until  the  bough  of  an  oak- 
tree,  torn  off  by  the  wind,  fell  directly  across  his  path  did  he 
waken  from  his  revery. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

"  Station  A .     One  minute's  stop  1" 

The  conductor  hastily  opened  the  door  of  a  second-class 
carriage  and  helped  out  a  young  lady,  civilly  handed  her  her 
travelling-bag  and  railway  wrap,  clambered  into  his  place 
again,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  train  was  out  of  sight. 

The  young  lady  was  the  only  passenger  who  had  left  the 
train  ;  therefore  the  gentleman  who  had  been  walking  to  and 
fro  on  the  platform  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  easily  recognized 
her  as  the  person  for  whom  he  had  been  waiting.  He  ap- 
proached her,  and,  raising  his  hat,  said,  courteously,  "  Have 
I  the  honour  of  addressing  Fraulein  Anna  Miiller  ?  I  am 
the  Finanzrath  von  Hohenwald." 

"  Have  you  come  yourself,  Herr  Finanzrath,  in  spite  of 
this  terrible  weather  ?     It  is  really  too  kind." 

There  was  surprise  as  well  as  great  satisfaction  in  the  smile 


•-^^^ "  ■         -      ;■      ■.-''r-.L^«rpi^i:^;Ti>i^^^^fi^'-i^--^ 


t 
CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  ,       \Vl 


with  which  Werner  looked  at  thp  young  lady ;  he  was  in  txutih 
deeply  impressed  by  her  striking  beauty. 

Fraulein  Miiller  was  by  no  means  equally  pleased.  She 
had  supposed  the  Finanzrath  to  be  a  much  older  man ;  hia 
fresh,  smooth-shaven  face  looked  to  her  very  youthful,  and 
she  was  not  agreeably  impressed  by  the  satisfied  smile  with 
which  he  contemplated  her. 

It  was  but  a  moment  that  Werner  devoted  to  his  scrutiny 
of  the  lady  ;  he  now  bowed  even  lower  and  more  respectfully 
than  at  first,  and  said,  with  extreme  politeness,  "  I  was  too 
much  rejoiced,  Fraulein  Miiller,  that  I  had  been  able  to  in- 
duce you  to  come  to  Hohenwald  to  allow  another  than  my- 
self to  be  the  first  to  welcome  you  here.  Moreover,  I  felt  it 
my  duty  to  meet  you,  since  I  was  the  cause  of  your  accepting 
a  position  for  the  difficulties  of  which  you  are  perhaps  not  fully 
prepared.  Before  you  enter  Castle  Hohenwald  you  ought  to 
have  a  more  vivid  idea  of  those  with  whom  your  life  there 
will  be  passed  than  it  was  possible  to  give  you  in  my  short 
letter.  I  described  as  impartially  as  I  could  the  difficulties 
of  your  position,  but  there  is  much  that  you  should  know, 
which  I  shall  be  able  to  tell  you  during  our  drive  to  the  castle, 
which  in  this  weather,  and  from  the  consequent  state  of  the 
roads,  must  needs  be  a  slow  one.  And  now  let  me  conduct 
you  to  the  carriage  as  quickly  as  possible ;  it  will,  I  fear,  be 
quite  late  and  very  dark  by  the  time  we  reach  Hohenwald." 

Then  taking  her  travelling-bag,  and  offering  her  his  arm, 
which  after  a  moment's  hesitation  she  accepted,  he  led  her 
through  the  station-house  to  where  a  close  travelling  carriage 
was  awaiting  them. 

The  wind  howled,  and  the  rain  poured  in  torrents.  The 
Finanzrath  was  assiduous  in  his  attentions,  holding  his  um- 
brella over  his  companion  as  she  got  into  the  carriage,  then 
hurrying  to  see  that  the  porter  fastened  her  lu^age  securely 
in  its  place  behind  the  carriage.     Not  until  all  was  arranged 


■'^r^-»t^-«^^|»,«a»f«| 


118  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

to  his  satisfaction  did  he  take  his  seat  beside  her  in  the  well- 
cushioned  vehicle.  The  rattling  of  the  carriage  over  the 
stones  while  the  road  led  through  the  town  of  A pre- 
vented all  conversation,  and  enabled  the  Finanzrath  to  ob- 
serve his  companion  attentively  without  attempting  any  of 
his  promised  communications. 

He  was  impressed  anew  by  the  girl's  extraordinary  beauty ; 
an  expression  of  melancholy  that  v&nished  when  she  spoke, 
but  which  characterized  her  features  in  repose,  made  her  still 
more  attractive,  while  it  aflForded  the  Finanzrath — who  remem- 
bered all  that  Frau  von  Adelung  had  hinted  to  him  of  Friiu- 
lein  Miiller's  misfortunes — an  explanation  of  her  readiness 
to  accept  the  oflPer  of  a  position  at  Castle  Hohenwald.  At 
length  the  carriage  left  the  paved  streets  and  entered  upon 
the  country  road  leading  to  the  castle.  Although  the  wind 
howled  about  the  vehicle  and  the  rain  pelted  against  its  win- 
dows, conversation  had  become  possible. 

The  Finanzrath  was  a  clever  man  ;  it  was  but  natural  that 
his  lively  portrayal  of  the  inmates  of  the  castle  should  in- 
terest Friiulein  Miiller  extremely.  She  listened  eagerly,  only 
interrupting  him  now  and  then  by  brief  questions,  which  he 
answered  readily.  With  an  impartiality  which  was  surely 
worthy  of  all  praise,  Werner  entered  upon  a  detailed  account 
of  the  characteristics  of  his  nearest  relatives, — his  father,  his 
brother,  and  his  sister  ;  he  warmly  extolled  their  good  quali- 
ties— his  father's  kindness  of  heart  and  simple  truth,  Amo's 
stem  sense  of  justice,  his  earnestness,  his  industry,  his  varied 
acquirements,  Celia's  gay  good  humour  and  childlike  sim- 
plicity ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  concealed  none  of  their  faults. 
As  he  discoursed,  the  daylight  had  vanished  and  darkness 
had  succeeded  the  short  twilight.  The  sky  was  black  with 
clouds,  and  within  the  carriage  it  was  so  dark  that  Anna 
could  scarcely  see  the  outline  of  her  companion's  figure,  al- 
though he  leaned  towards  her  as  he  repeatedly  assured  her 


y^fg^l^  j'.rf; '-s'.«^<^  <:--■'■'         .:::?':::^'^mv'^^;f1!^''-'^f^';{^--     ■   -^-.■ifJ^^:!.'^,-'       ■.-     -    .    ■••;:>,.'.:    '•  t;-?^' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  119 

that  in  him  she  would  find  a  friend  ready  to  aid  her  in  any 
way  during  her  life  at  the  castle,  and  be^ed  her  to  confide 
frankly  to  him  any  wish  with  which  he  could  comply. 

He  said  not  one  word  that  circumstances  did  not  ftdly  waiv 
rant,  and  yet  Anna  was  excessively  uncomfortable.  The  tite- 
d-tite  with  him  in  the  dark  carriage  seemed  to  her  almost  in- 
suflFerable.  She  shrank  away  from  him  at  the  very  time  when 
he  was  speaking  so  gently  and  kindly  to  her  that  there  could 
not  be  the  slightest  reasonable  cause  for  her  distaste  of  his 
society. 

Suddenly  the  carriage  stopped.  Anna  drew  a  long  breath 
of  relief  when  the  Finanzrath  broke  oflF  his  discourse  and, 
opening  the  window,  asked,  anxiously,  "  What  is  the  matter, 
John  ?    Why  do  you  not  drive  on  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know,  Herr  Finanzrath,"  a  voice  from  the  box 
replied,  "  but  I  think  something  is  wrong." 

"  What  can  be  wrong  ?"  It  seemed  to  Anna  that  the 
Finanzrath's  voice  trembled  as  he  asked  the  question.  Was 
he,  strong  man  as  he  was,  so  fearfrd  of  an  accident  that  his 
fear  betrayed  itself  in  his  voice  ?  The  sign  of  weakness  in- 
stantly put  an  end  to  all  Anna's  dread  of  the  Finanzrath. 
She  felt  strong,  indeed,  in  view  of  his  timidity.  No  possible 
danger  of  the  road  in  the  dark  night  had  power  to  alarm 
her.  All  she  had  dreaded  had  been  the  tete-d-tite  with  her 
companion. 

The  coachman  did  not  immediately  answer;  he  slowly 
descended  from  the  box,  and  not  until  the  Finanzrath  asked 
in  a  tone  of  still  greater  anxiety,  "  What  has  happened, 
John?"  did  he  reply,  sullenly,  "Nothing  has  happened, 
Herr  Finanzrath,  but  the  devil  himself  could  not  find  the 
way  in  this  storm;  you  can't  see  your  hand  before  your 
face.  I  thought  we  had  got  off  the  road  and  were  going 
towards  the  Griinhagen  quarry,  but  it  is  all  right,  and  we 
can  drive  on." 


''~i?^i-!''-WW^W^ 


120  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  No,  no,  don't  try,  for  Heaven's  sake,  John  I"  the  Finanz- 
rath  exclaimed,  in  evident  terror. 

"  Oh,  it's  all  right,"  the  coachman  said,  with  great  com- 
posure. "  We  must  drive  on ;  we  can't  spend  the  night  here 
in  this  weather." 

He  mounted  the  box  again  and  whipped  up  his  horses,  but 
the  next  instant  there  was  a  jolt,  a  crash  1  The  wheels  on 
on 3  side  of  the  carriage  rolled  over  a  stone,  while  those  on 
the  other  sank  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  mud,  the  carriage 
leaned  more  and  more  to  one  side  and  finally  upset. 

Anna  felt  herself  tossed  to  one  side ;  her  head  struck  against 
some  hard  object.  She  experienced  a  burning  pain  in  her 
temple,  and  was  near  fainting,  but  the  next  moment  recalled 
her  to  herself ;  she  did  not  choose  to  faint,  and  her  will  was 
victorious. 

The  carriage  had  fallen  upon  the  side  where  sat  the  Finanz- 
rath.     Anna  heard  him  groan  as  he  struggled  to  rise. 

"  Are  you  hurt?"  she  asked,  anxiously. 

*'  My  foot  pains  me  terribly ;  I  fear  it  is  broken,"  he  re- 
plied, in  a  loud,  distinct  voice  which  soothed  Anna's  appre- 
hensions that  his  injuries  might  be  mortal. 

"  I  will  try  to  open  the  door  that  is  uppermost,"  she  said ; 
and  this,  after  several  attempts,  she  succeeded  in  doing. 
The  rain  poured  down  upon  her,  but  she  braved  it,  and 
exerting  all  her  strength,  she  climbed  out  upon  the  side  of 
the  carriage  and  thence  got  down  to  the  ground.  At  first 
she  sank  ankle-deep  in  the  mud,  but  in  a  minute  she  found 
firm  footing.  "  Can  you  possibly  get  out,  Herr  Finanzrath  ?" 
she  asked. 

"  I  will  try,"  a  voice  from  the  carriage  replied,  and  imme- 
diately afterward  the  Finanzrath  looked  out  of  the  open  door. 
He  gazed  about  him,  but  in  the  gloom  could  see  nothing. 
Anna's  figure  was  hardly  distinguishable,  although  she  was 
but  a  few  paces  off.   "  John  I  John !  Where  are  you  ?"  Werner 


^^r:^!!!^-"W--' .''■rl^^^^^  '    ■'  .'■j.--?.        .,■;'■  ■!  "■■"■^s    '^■^^-w.  ■■'^  ■■■"»=■''  '^^   ■■        ■  /    ■.  ■  ■  ■^'^C^"    ■  ■  -^  "  -  ^^    '-^z       "ri^iri^j?:^-.?' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  121 

called  loudly,  but,  although  he  repeated  the  call  several  times, 
there  was  no  reply. 

"  I  am  afraid  the  poor  fellow  has  had  a  bad  fall,"  said 
Anna. 

"  So  it  seems,  since  he  does  not  answer,"  rejoined  the  Finana- 
rath.  There  was  not  much  sympathy  in  the  tone  of  his  voice, 
and  still  less  was  there  in  the  remark  that  followed.  "  The 
clumsy  scoundrel  cannot  even  hold  the  horses  after  upsetting 
as.  This  is  horrible !  Suppose  the  horses  should  run  off  just 
as  I  am  climbing  out  ?" 

This  fear  was  groundless.  The  horses  had  stopped  the 
instant  the  vehicle  overturned.  They  did  not  stir,  and  the 
Finanzrath  climbed  out  upon  the  carriage,  but  did  not  attempt 
to  descend  from  it. 

"  Is  your  foot  so  painfrd  that  you  cannot  step  upon  it  ?" 
Anna  asked,  compassionately.  "  Can  I  help  you  ?  Take  my 
hand,  I  pray  you  I" 

"  Thank  you,"  he  replied ;  "  but  my  foot  will  not  permit 
me  to  climb  farther.  What  are  we  to  do  ?  We  cannot  sit 
here  all  night  in  the  rain." 

"  I  will  seek  help,"  Anna  replied,  resolutely.  "  The  road 
must  lead  to  some  house  or  village.  Wait  for  me  here.  I 
shall  soon  return  with  men,  who  can  right  the  carriage." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  do  not  go  one  step  !"  Werner  cried, 
in  great  agitation.  "  We  are  close  upon  the  quarry ;  there 
must  be  a  deep  chasm  just  at  hand  !" 

"  I  will  be  very  careful.  At  all  events  help  must  be  pro- 
cured. Something  must  be  done  for  the  poor  coachman,  who 
has  given  no  sign  of  life  yet ;  and  you  too,  Herr  Finanzrath, 
need  assistance." 

"  ^""es,  yes ;  but  you  must  not  leave  me.     Let  us  both 

shout  for  help.     We  shall  perhaps  be  heard.     There  must 

be  labourers'  cottages  near  the  quarry.     Help  I   help  1"  he 

thereupon  shouted  with  all  the  force  of  his  powerful  lungs. 

V  11 


I"  ■   ''.?:■ '»'l!fptf»?553!^»S5?^ 


122  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

And  in  fact  scarcely  had  the  sound  died  away  when  a  distant 
"  Halloo  !"  was  heard. 

"  Thank  Heaven,  they  have  heard  us  !"  Werner  said,  and 
hhen  shouted  again,  "  Help  I  help  I" 

The  answering  shout  came  nearer,  and  in  a  few  momenta 
a  dark  figure  approached.  "  What  is  the  matter  here  ?"  a 
rough  voice  asked.  "  A  carriage  upset,  as  I  live  !  What 
the  devil  were  you  doing  in  the  quarry  at  this  hour  ?" 

"  We  lost  the  road,  and  are  greatly  in  need  of  assistance," 
replied  Werner. 

"  Lost  the  road  ?     Were  you  going  to  G-riinhagen  ?" 

"  No  ;  to  Castle  Hohenwald." 

"  To  the  castle  ?     Then  you  belong  to  Hohenwald  ?" 

"  I  am  the  Finanzrath  von  Hohenwald  ;  but  this  is  not 
the  time  for  talking.  I  beg  you,  my  friend,  to  help  me  to 
reach  some  place  of  security  " 

A  burst  of  discordant  laughter  was  the  only  reply  vouch- 
safed to  this  request.  After  indulging  in  his  ill-timed  mer- 
riment, the  new-comer  inquired,  "  Have  you  ever  heard  of 
barter  Jock  ?" 

"  No ;  but,  my  friend " 

"  No  fi4end  of  yours !  I  would  rather  eat  my  head  than 
help  a  Hohenwald.  Any  of  the  castle  people  can  tell  you 
»bout  Carter  Jock.  Finely  they  treated  him  indeed ;  and, 
oy  way  of  thanks,  he  wifiii'js  you  a  pleasant  night !"  With 
another  scornful  laugh  thj  nan  turned  on  his  heel  and  would 
have  gone,  when  Ann^  arp'  «iached  him,  and,  laying  her  hand 
on  his  shoulder,  said,  "  Yo'.  will  not  be  so  cruel  as  to  desert 
us  in  our  need  ?" 

"  The  deuce  !  The/e'o  a  ^oman  in  the  scrape,  and  not  the 
madcap  Celia  either  !"  thd  raan  exclaimed,  in  amazement,  after 
having  lighted  a  couple  of  matches,  which  the  rain,  to  be  sure, 
instantly  extinguished,  but  not  before  he  had  perceived  that 
it  was  not  Celia  who  addressed  him. 


^Tff^P^mm^l^^Wi^'''^!^^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  123 

"  A  lady  I  a  stranger !"  lie  muttered  to  himself.  "  She 
must  not  be  left  all  night  in  the  quarry.  The  devil  take  the 
Hohenwalds ;  but  I  must  let  the  folks  at  Griinhagen  know 
what  has  happened." 

For  one  moment  he  stood  reflecting,  and  then,  without  heed- 
ing the  Finanzrath's  entreaties,  he  turned  away  and  vanished 
in  the  darkness. 

For  a  while  Werner  von  Hohenwald  sat  silent  as  if  in 
utter  despair.  At  last  a  red  spark  of  light  appeared  in  the 
distance ;  again  he  shouted  as  loud  as  he  could  for  help,  and 
to  his  joy  the  voice  that  answered  him  was  Amo's. 

In  a  few  minutes  Amo,  followed  by  several  men  with 
lighted  torches,  reached  the  overturned  carriage.  "  I  was 
afraid,"  he  said,  "  that  John  would  miss  the  road,  and  so 
came  out  to  meet  you  with  torches ;  not  soon  enough,  unfor- 
tunately, to  prevent  an  accident.  But  why  do  you  sit  up 
there  on  the  carriage,  Werner  ?    Why  don't  you  jump  down  ?" 

"  The  chasm  must  be  close  by,  Amo." 

"  Nonsense !  there  is  no  chasm  here.  Give  me  your  hand 
and  spring  down." 

Werner  grasped  the  hand  extended  to  him  and  sprang  out 
upon  the  road.  His  foot  could  not  have  been  severely  injured, 
since  he  accomplished  this  with  apparent  ease. 

"  Where  is  Fraulein  Mtiller  ?  I  hope  nothing  has  hap- 
pened to  her." 

"  Nothing  has  happened  to  me,  Herr  von  Hohenwald," 
said  Anna,  who  was  standing  in  the  shadow,  "  but  I  am  afiraid 
the  coachman  has  received  some  injury." 

Amo  turned  hastily,  and  stepped  aside  so  that  the  torchlight 
fell  Ml  upon  Anna's  face.  Its  great  beauty  astonished  him 
also,  but  he  was  shocked  at  the  sight  of  a  dark-red  streak 
that  extended  from  beneath  the  chestnut  curls  on  her  temple 
to  the  white  kerchief  about  her  throat,  which  was  stained  crim- 
son.    "  You  are  bleedingr  ?"  he  exclaimed,  " you  are  hurt?" 


J 


■i^'Wfi 


124  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  It  is  nothing.  Never  mind  me  ;  but  let  ns  search  for  the 
unfortunate  coachman.     I  fear  he  is  terribly  hurt." 

"  Where  is  he  ?    John,  where  are  you  ?" 

There  was  no  reply,  and  Arno  became  alarmed.  He  took 
one  of  the  torches  from  the  men,  and  was  not  long  in  finding 
poor  old  John,  who  was  lying  unconscious  by  the  roadside, 
with  a  terrible  wound  on  his  forehead.  Arno  kneeled  beside 
him,  and  laid  his  hand  upon  his  heart.  "  He  is  alive,"  he 
instantly  declared,  "  but  I  am  afraid  he  is  very  badly  hurt." 

"  Oh,  is  he  ?"  said  Werner,  who  was  seated  on  a  stone, 
calmly  watching  his  brother's  proceeding.  "  I  thought  it 
must  be  so  when  he  did  not  answer.  But  what  are  we  to 
do,  Arno  ?     My  foot  is  terribly  painful." 

"  Indeed  ?  It  cannot  be  very  bad,  since  you  easily  jumped 
from  the  carriage." 

"  Nevertheless  it  pains  me  terribly.  I  never  can  walk  to 
the  castle.     Can  the  carriage  not  be  righted?" 

"  We  will  see."  Arno  examined  the  carriage,  but  found 
the  axle  broken.  "  This  is  bad,"  he  said.  "  We  cannot,  then, 
drive  poor  old  John  to  Hohenwald,  but  we  can  make  a  litter 
comfortable  with  the  carriage  cushions,  and  you,  my  men,  can 
carry  him  to  the  village." 

The  men  assented  eagerly,  but  the  Finanzrath  was  not  satis- 
fied. "  I  should  suppose,"  he  said,  peevishly,  "  that  I  might 
be  attended  to  before  John.  I  cannot  possibly  walk.  When 
the  men  have  carried  me  to  Hohenwald  they  can  return  and 
fetch  John." 

His  brother  greeted  this  speech  with  a  glance  of  contempt. 
"  If  you  cannot  walk,"  he  said,  coolly,  "  you  can  sit  here  I 
The  old  man's  life,  perhaps,  depends  upon  his  having  surgical 
aid  speedily." 

"  I  cannot  stay  here  in  the  pouring  rain  ;  I  shall  catch  my 
death  of  cold !" 

"  Death  is  not   easily  caught  of    cold !"   Arno  rejoined, 


^*li'*Xi'     "5^^'^^.^'fwT*-'-       '   ^       ■•  r"       ''.>°!'»-''w*TV  i^*  "  '  "«^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  125 

ansympatheticallj.  "  Make  liaste,"  he  said  to  the  men,  who 
were  busy  constructing  the  litter.  "  Poor  old  John  must  be 
moved  as  quickly  as  possible." 

"  How  far  are  we  &om  Hohenwald  ?"  the  Finanzrath  asked, 
when  the  litter  was  nearly  completed. 

"  Three-quarters  of  a  league  from  the  castle  and  half  a 
league  from  the  village." 

"  Then  the  manor-housei  of  Grtinhagen  must  be  close  at 
hand." 

"  Grunhagen  is  not  ten  minutes'  walk." 

*'  Indeed  ?  Then,  Arno,  I  think  it  would  be  much  wiser 
to  carry  John  there,  and  I  could  manage  to  hobble  there 
myself." 

"  You  would  go  to  Griinhagen  ?"  Amo  asked,  and  there 
was  surprise  as  well  as  disapproval  in  his  tone.  ''  What 
business  has  a  Hohenwald  in  Griinhagen?  Am  I  to  ask 
shelter  for  old  John  and  for  you  of  the  Amtsrath  Friese  or 
young  Kurt  von  Poseneck,  only  to  meet  with  a  rude  reAisal, 
or,  what  would  be  worse,  with  a  condescending  compliance, 
which  would  burden  me  with  an  obligation  to  them  ?" 

"  What  folly !"  Werner  declared.  "  You  ought  to  be  above 
such  prejudice,  Amo.  It  speaks  ill  for  your  humanity  that 
you  insist  upon  dragging  poor  old  John  to  Hohenwald." 

Here  one  of  the  men  whom  Amo  had  brought  with  him 
advanced,  and,  taking  off  his  hat,  respectfrilly  said,  "  No 
offence  to  the  Herr  Finanzrath,  but  we  cannot  take  old  John 
to  Griinhagen." 

"  What  do  you  mean  1"  the  Finanzrath  angrily  inquired. 
"  Would  you  disobey  orders  ?" 

"  Certainly  not,"  the  man  replied,  exchanging  a  glance  with 
his  fellows.  "  We  are  old  soldiers,  and  know  how  to  obey 
always,  but  indeed  we  could  not  answer  it  to  the  master  or  to 
old  John  himself  if  we  took  him  to  Griinhagen.  If  he  had 
his  senses  he  would  be  sure  to  say  that  he  would  rather  die 

11* 


126  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

than  be  carried  to  Griinhagen.  And,  besides,  if  we  do  take 
him  farther,  we  get  the  doctor  sooner,  for  our  Dr.  Briihn  in 
Ilohenwald  would  not  go  to  Griinhagen  for  the  world ;  when 

they  want  a  doctor  there  they  have  to  send  to  A ,  and 

that  is  too  far." 

Arno  nodded  approvingly  to  the  man.  "  You  are  right, 
Kunz ;  we  will  take  John  to  the  Hohcnwald  village.  Lift 
him  carefully  and  lay  him  on  the  cushions,  and  let  us  be  oflF 
instantly." 

"  But,  Arno,  what  is  to  become  of  me  and  of  Fraulein 
Miiller  ?"  Werner  asked,  plaintively. 

Anna  had  been  no  idle  spectator  during  this  time  ;  she  had 
helped  the  men  to  arrange  the  cushions  on  the  litter,  and  was 
holding  a  torch  to  light  them  as  they  lifted  the  unconscious 
John  upon  it,  listening  the  while  with  surprise  to  the  conver- 
sation between  the  brothers.  She  had  been  disgusted  with 
the  Finanzrath's  selfishness  in  desiring  to  be  carried  when 
his  foot  was  evidently  not  severely  hurt;  and  Amo's  stern 
refusal  to  carry  the  wounded  man  to  Griinhagen  had  also 
impressed  her  disagreeably.  She  had  no  desire  to  take  any 
part  in  the  discussion,  but  now,  when  the  Finanzrath  asked 
of  Amo  what  was  to  become  of  her,  she  hastily  interposed 
with,  "  I  shall  carry  one  of  the  torches,  since  I  cannot,  unfor- 
tunately, render  any  more  important  assistance ;  there  is  no 
occasion  to  waste  any  thought  upon  me." 

Amo  looked  at  her  with  a  surprised  but  kindly  air. 
"  Brava !"  he  said.  "  You  are  brave,  and  I  trust  can  walk 
the  half-league  to  the  village  ;  if  you  are  very  tired  I  will  assist 
you.  You,  Werner,  must  help  yourself.  If  you  cannot  walk 
with  us,  creep  back  into  the  carriage  and  shelter  yourself 
from  the  rain  until  I  can  send  you  assistance.  And  now  on 
to  Hohenwald !" 

"  No,  Herr  von  Hohenwald ;  to  Griinhagen,"  a  strong, 
manly  voice  was  now  heard  to  say. 


•■^T^^"'^^^o^?^^^^-j"'^,-  -■■'>■",  ■■'r'-'^;-?''-\'i;-^"TK^r-^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  127 

The  voice  was  Kurt  von  Poseneck's ;  he  emerged  from  the 
darkness  into  the  torchlight,  and,  advancing  towards  Arno  and 
the  Finanzrath,  courteously  informed  them  that  he  had  just 
heard  the  news  of  the  accident  in  the  quarry,  and  had  in- 
stantly given  orders  to  have  a  carriage  prepared,  while  he  had 
hurried  hither  to  entreat  the  gentlemen  to  turn  towards  Griin- 
hagen,  where  they  would  be  cordially  welcome,  and  where 
apartments  were  already  prepared  for  them.  The  injured 
coachman,  too,  should  have  every  care  bestowed  upon  him, 
and  a  carriage  should  be  instantly  sent  to  fetch  Dr.  Brtihn  to 
Griinhagen. 

Kurt  spoke  so  kindly,  so  cordially,  that  even  Arno  could 
not  help  for  a  moment  forgetting  his  prejudice  against  the 
Posenecks  as  he  thanked  the  young  man  for  his  proffered 
hospitality,  which,  however,  he  declined.  In  vain  did  Werner 
add  his  entreaties  to  Kurt's.  Arno  refused  to  yield,  and  cut 
short  all  further  discussion  by  ordering  the  men  to  proceed 
with  the  litter. 

Werner  was  very  indignant  at  his  brother's  obstinacy. 
"  Such  unreasonableness  is  inconceivable !"  he  exclaimed ; 
"  but  you  shall  not  force  me,  Arno,  to  share  your  folly.  I 
accept  your  invitation  gratefully,  Herr  von  Poseneck,  for 
Fraulein  Miiller  and  myself;  we  will  return  with  you  to 
Griinhagen  and  accept  your  hospitality." 

**  You  must  not  speak  for  me,  Herr  Finanzrath,"  Anna 
protested.  "  I  promised  to  be  at  Hohenwald  this  evening, 
and  I  shall  keep  my  word." 

"  But,  Fraulein  Miiller,  you  cannot  surely  persist  in  walk- 
ing to  Hohenwald  in  this  weather  ?  I  will  engage  to  excuse 
your  delay  to  my  father." 

"  I  need  no  excuse^  Herr  Finanzrath,"  Anna  replied. 

In  vain  did  Werner  expend  his  eloquence  in  entreaties  and 
representations.  She  carried  one  of  the  torches  and  walked 
beside  the  litter  towards  Hohenwald.    She  stoutly  braved  the 


128  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

storm  ;  the  wind  blowing  in  her  face  cooled  her  burning  tern 
pies,  and  she  experienced  a  sense  of  strange  satisfaction  when, 
upon  looking  back,  she  found  that  the  quarry  was  already  so 
far  in  the  distance  that  the  light  of  the  torch  left  with  the 
Finanzrath  gleamed  like  a  faint  spark  in  the  black  darkness 
of  the  night. 

The  castle  clock  had  struck  eleven,  and  the  Freiherr  von 
Hohenwald,  who  was  usually  rolled  into  his  bedroom  at  ten 
precisely,  was  still  sitting  in  the  spacious  garden-room.  He 
was  not  in  a  good  humour,  as  was  manifested  by  the  frown 
upon  his  forehead,  which  even  Celia's  cajoleries  could  not 
smooth.  The  girl  was  seated  on  a  low  chair  beside  him,  en- 
deavouring in  vain  to  win  him  to  cheerfulness.  Sure  as  she 
usually  was  of  an  aflPectionate  reply  to  her  questions,  to-night 
he  would  not  be  amiable.  She  had  been  reading  aloud  to 
him  ;  but  even  that  did  not  please  him.  He  took  the  book 
from  her,  grumblingly  declaring  that  she  was  inattentive,  that 
her  emphasis  was  all  wrong ;  she  was  thinking,  of  course, 
of  the  new  governess,  on  whose  account  the  whole  house  was 
turned  upside  down. 

As  he  spoke,  the  Freiherr  glanced  angrily  at  the  table  in 
the  centre  of  the  room  spread  for  four  people.  "  It  capped 
the  climax,"  he  added,  peevishly,  "  for  Werner  to  tell  me  it 
was  not  the  thing  to  smoke  in  ladies'  society,  I  am  not  to 
be  hectored  after  that  fashion,  however.  Bring  me  my  meer 
schaum  !" 

Celia  sprang  up  and  brought  him  his  large  meerschaum, 
with  a  lighted  match.  He  usually  rewarded  her  for  this 
service  with  a  loving  smile,  but  to-night  he  sat  puffing  out 
clouds  of  smoke  without  a  word,  until  he  drew  out  his  huge 
gold  watch  and  said,  "  Ten  minutes  aft«r  eleven  !  This  house- 
hold is  topsy-turvy.  It  was  not  enough  that  Werner  should 
insanely  go  to  meet  the  woman  at  the  station  himself,  but  that 


■  '•w'v^"r^f§Kw!^'^:t^^F:': 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  129 

fool  Amo  must  needs  run  after  him.  There  stands  the  table 
waiting, — nine  o'clock  is  the  supper-hour,  and  it  is  now  nearly 
midnight." 

"  But  you  had  your  supper  at  the  right  time,  papa,"  said 
Celia. 

"  How  would  it  have  helped  matters  to  have  me  kept  wait- 
ing ?  It  is  enough  that  all  the  rest  of  the  household  sufFera 
because  of  you  and  this  governess.  It  was  the  stupidest 
thing  I  ever  did  to  listen  to  Werner.  What's  the  use  of  your 
having  a  governess  ?  Your  manners  are  quite  fine  enough 
for  Castle  Hohenwald,  for  Amo,  and  for  me." 

"  Still  it  was  very  wise  in  you,  papa,  to  follow  Werner's 
advice.  I  can  learn  a  great  deal  from  a  good  governess,  and 
some  time,  I  suppose,  I  shall  meet  those  who  demand  more 
than  Amo  or  you." 

"  Oho !  the  wind  has  changed,  then  ?  So  Werner  has 
converted  you  too !" 

Celia  blushed.  Werner  had  not  even  attempted  the  con- 
version of  which  his  father  accused  him ;  but  she  did  not  say 
one  word  in  his  defence, — she  could  not  tell  her  father  that 
it  was  Kurt  von  Poseneck  who  had  caused  her  change  of 
opinion. 

"  Where  can  they  be  ?"  the  Freiherr  exclaimed,  impa- 
tiently ;  "  they  ought  to  have  been  here  by  ten  o'clock  at  the 
latest." 

"  I  hope  there  has  been  no  accident." 

"  Nonsense  !  The  road  is  perfectly  good,  and  since  Amo 
chose  to  go  and  meet  them  with  torches  an  accident  is  im- 
possible. There  is  just  as  much  pother  about  this  governess 
as  if  she  were  a  lady  of  distinction." 

"  Do  not  be  unjust,  papa !      If  old  John,  who  has  not 

driven  over  that  road  for  so  long,  should  have  missed  the 

way  and  got  into  the  Griinhagen  quarry,  and  any  accident 

had  happened  to  Werner  or  the  lady,  you  never  would  for- 

I 


1 :10  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

pve  yourself  for  scolding  Arno  for  going  to  meet  them, 
Only  hear  how  the  wind  howls  and  the  rain  beats  against  the 
windows.  For  my  part,  I  am  almost  dead  with  anxiety  lest 
an  accident  has  happened.  But,  thank  Heaven,  no — there 
they  are ;  I  hear  the  carriage  rattling  over  the  stones  of  the 
court-yard." 

Celia  started  up,  and  would  have  hurried  out  to  meet  the 
arrivals,  but  a  peremptory  word  from  her  father  detained  her. 
"  Stay  here  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  There  is  such  a  thing  as  being 
too  kind.  It  is  more  than  enough  that  Werner  brings  her 
from  the  station,  that  Arno  goes  to  meet  her,  and  that  the 
table  and  you  all  are  kept  waiting  for  her.  As  she  herself 
wrote,  she  is  to  be  your  paid  companion  and  teacher.  Remem- 
ber that,  child.     Any  undue  familiarity  is  very  undesirable." 

Celia  tossed  her  head  and  a  reply  was  upon  her  tongue,  but 
as  she  looked  at  her  father  she  thought  it  wiser  not  to  pro- 
voke him  further,  so  she  bit  her  lips  and  obeyed  in  silence. 
At  the  same  time  she  privately  determined  that  neither  her 
father's  command  nor  her  brother's  advice  should  influence 
her  conduct  towards  the  governess. 

Her  patience  was  put  to  the  proof,  for  several  minutes 
elapsed  before  the  hall-doors  were  thrown  open  and  Arno  ap- 
peared, ushering  in  a  lady,  whom  he  presented.  "  Fraulein 
Anna  Miiller.  My  father,  my  sister  Celia."  This  introduc- 
tion he  evidently  considered  quite  sufficient,  for  he  instantly 
turned  from  her,  and,  taking  his  father's  hand,  said,  "  We 
have  kept  you  waiting  a  long  while,  father — you  shall  hear 
why  when  you  have  welcomed  Fraulein  Miiller.  I  have 
much  to  tell." 

The  Freiherr  made  no  reply ;  during  the  presentation  he 
had  not  removed  his  pipe  from  his  mouth,  but  when  Anna 
approaohed  with  a  slight  courtesy,  and,  in  a  soft,  rich  voice, 
said,  "  Forgive  me,  Herr  Baron,  for  having  been  the  involun- 
tary cause  of  so  much  disturbance,"  he  instantly  laid  it  aside 


!pj^j^S'|»!»t'K- ,'7' .' ■"«   .■■;'•  CT^- '!"•-: 3^ — '  ;-?f^KHW«3!r'^5>~'!-;  ■  ■     ■         •■    ■■-•■■- --^7^- 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  131 

«nd  made  an  attempt  to  rise  from  his  chair  in  answer  to  her 
words.  It  was  many  years  since  he  had  exchanged  a  word 
with  a  lady,  but  the  memory  of  the  time  when  he  lived  in 
society  stirred  within  him  as  he  looked  at  Anna.  He  had 
supposed  that  a  negligent  word  of  greeting  would  suffice  for 
a  governess,  after  all  only  a  kind  of  upper  servant,  but  he 
saw  before  him  a  lady  to  whom  he  involuntarily  paid  a  mach 
greater  degree  of  respect.  It  was  not  Anna's  extraordihary 
beauty  that  thus  impressed  him,  although  he  found  it  admira- 
ble, but  a  certain  indescribable  something  which  characterized 
her,  and  which  her  unsuitable  dress  could  not  conceal.  She 
had  left  her  drenched  clothing  at  Inspector  Hauk's,  in  the 
village  of  Hohenwald,  and  had  borrowed  a  dark  woollen  dress 
of  his  wife's,  which,  although  much  too  large  for  her  slender 
figure,  could  not  disguise  its  beautiful  proportions. 

A  few  minutes  previously  the  Freiherr  had  not  been  by  any 
means  inclined  to  receive  kindly  the  disturber  of  his  domestic 
peace,  but  as  he  looked  into  Anna's  pale  face,  and  thought 
he  saw  an  entreaty  for  kindness  in  her  fine  eyes,  the  expres- 
sion of  irritation  vanished  from  his  features,  and  he  said,  very 
kindly  and  simply,  "  You  are  heartily  welcome,  Fraulein !" 

These  were  the  first  words  that  Anna  heard  from  the 
dreaded  woman-hater,  the  stem  Freiherr.  Her  ftiture  pupil's 
reception  of  her  was  far  more  effusive ;  she  had  taken  Celia's 
heart  by  storm.  While  Anna  was  speaking  to  the  old  Baron, 
the  girl  stood  rapt  in  admiration  of  the  stranger's  exquisite 
smile  and  melodious  voice,  and  when  she  turned  from  the 
father  to  the  daughter,  the  latter  threw  her  arms  around  her 
in  a  sudden  burst  of  girlish  enthusiasm,  which  conveyed  a 
far  more  cordial  welcome  than  could  have  been  given  in 
words.  Anna  gently  kissed  her  brow  and  felt  inexpressibly 
pleased  by  the  manner  of  Celia's  greeting,  founding  upon  it 
the  brightest  hopes  for  the  future. 

And  what  did  the  Freiherr  say  to  this  infringement  of  the 


■■i!;Tj!p^' 


1H2  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

rule  he  had  laid  down  but  a  few  short  minutes  before  ?  U« 
was  not  in  the  least  angry ;  he  smiled  benignantly,  and  watched 
with  great  satisfaction  the  two  charming  girls,  the  governess, 
apparently  but  a  few  years  the  elder  of  the  two,  and  his  dar- 
ling, his  will-o'-the-wisp.  Paternal  pride  whispered  to  him 
that,  beautiful  as  the  stranger  was,  she  was  no  lovelier  than 
Celia. 

Amo  by  no  means  shared  his  father's  satisfaction.  Hia 
face  grew  dark  as  he  looked  at  Anna.  What  magical  charm 
did  this  stranger,  whom  Werner  had  introduced  among  them, 
possess,  to  enable  her  thus,  by  a  single  word,  to  transform  his 
father,  prompting  him  to  utter  that  "  heartily  welcome,"  and 
now  so  completely  winning  over  Celia,  who  had  naturally 
rebelled  against  the  idea  of  a  governess  ?  Had  she  not  even 
made  a  far  deeper  impression  upon  himself  than  he  was  willing 
to  admit  ?     She  must  be  an  adept  in  the  art  of  pleasing. 

"  Now  you  shall  have  supper,"  said  the  Freiherr ;  and 
Amo  rang  the  bell  to  have  it  served  immediately,  and  then 
pushed  his  father's  chair  up  to  the  table.  It  was  only  when 
old  Franz  had  placed  the  dishes  on  the  table  that  Celia  ob- 
served that  Werner's  place  was  empty.  Her  father  noticed 
this  at  the  same  time,  and  they  asked,  simultaneously, 
"  Where  is  Werner  ?" 

"  Where  you  would  least  suspect  him  to  be,  father,"  re- 
plied Arno.  "  The  Finanzrath  is  so  far  exalted  above  the 
traditional  prejudices  of  his  family  that  he  has  accepted 
Herr  Kurt  von  Poseneck's  invitation,  and  is  at  this  moment 
either  calmly  supping  with  the  Amtsrath  Friese  and  Herr  von 
Poseneck,  or  comfortably  tucked  in  bed  at  Griinhagen." 

This  announcement  produced  very  different  effects  upon 
Celia  and  her  father.  Celia  blushed  crimson ;  but  so  far 
from  seeming  shocked  at  Werner's  transgression,  she  laughed 
merrily,  and  asked,  "  How  did  it  happen  ?" 

The  Freiherr,  on  the  contrary,  would  have  risen  hastily  from 


'■         Tf     T.-\J^-^    -^^'1^^'^"'        ■**« 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  133 

his  chair  had  not  his  gout  prevented ;  he  muttered  an  oath,  and 
exclaimed,  "What  a  devil  of  a  story  is  this?  Werner  at 
Griinhagen  with  those  scoundrels  of  Posenecks !" 

"  Why  should  you  speak  so  harshly  of  Herr  von  Poseneck, 
papa  ?"  Celia  asked,  indignantly. 

The  Baron  gazed  at  his  child  in  amazement.  "  What  is  the 
(liild  thinking  of?"  he  asked.  "  Actually  taking  me  to  task! 
Since  when  have  you  become  the  champion  of  the  Posenecks, 
little  one  ?" 

"  It  seems  to  me  unjust  to  abuse  the  absent,  who  do  not 
desf.rve  it,  and  cannot  defend  themselves !" 

"  How  do  you  know  what  the  Posenecks  deserve  ?  Would 
you  send  your  old  father  to  school  ?  Truly,  it  seems  high 
time  that  your  education  were  looked  after,  child." 

Celia's  cheek  gi-ew  more  crimson  still,  but  she  made  no 
reply  to  her  father's  reproof.  Amo  had  listened  to  the  brief 
war  of  words  with  a  smile.  "  Positively,"  he  said,  "  I  shall 
henceforth  believe  in  signs  and  wonders.  A  Hohenwald 
partakes  of  the  hospitality  of  Griinhagen ;  Celia  appears  as 
the  champion  of  the  Posenecks  ;  my  father  scolds  his  darling, 
and  she  makes  no  reply !  Who  can  discredit  miracles  after 
all  this  ?" 

"  Nonsense  !"  the  Freiherr  rejoined,  peevishly.  "  Rather 
tell  me  how  Werner  came  to  meet  that  Poseneck  fellow." 

In  answer  Arno  gave  a  narrative  of  the  evening's  adven- 
tures. He  had  determined  to  state  the  simple  facts  to  his 
father,  alluding  as  little  as  possible  to  Fraulein  Anna  Miiller, 
but  as  he  proceeded,  his  remembrance  of  the  scene  at  the  quarry 
was  so  vivid  that  he  went  farther  than  he  had  intended.  He 
could  not  forbear,  for  mere  justice'  sake,  to  enlarge  somewhat 
upon  the  courage  and  unselfishness  of  Anna's  conduct,  in  con- 
trast with  Werner's  weakness  and  egotism,  when  he  told  how, 
although  wounded  herself,  she  had  declined  his  aid  and  had 
begged  him  instantly  to  bestow  it  upon  old  John.     He  did 

'2 


.^,_;,^  tlCTj;^', 


134  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

not  utter  one  word  of  praise,  but  in  his  description  of  what 
had  occurred  there  was  much  commendation  implied,  while 
he  did  not  spare  his  sarcasm  in  speaking  of  Werner's  very 
slight  injury. 

Anna  was  not  a  little  embarrassed  by  his  account ;  she 
would  have  liked  to  disclaim  Arno's  praise,  but  what  could 
she  say  while  he  confined  himself  to  a  narrative  of  facts  ? 
When  Celia,  however,  turned  to  her  with  a  warm  caress, 
saying,  "  Good  heavens,  you  are  wounded,  and  have  said 
nothing  to  us  about  it !"  she  smilingly  lifted  the  dark-brown 
curls  upon  her  forehead,  and  said,  "  You  see  it  Is  a  mere 
scratch ;  the  village  doctor  attended  to  it,  and  told  me  that  it 
would  be  perfectly  healed  in  a  few  days.    It  really  is  nothing." 

Amo  confirmed  her  words,  and  went  on  to  reassure  his 
father  as  to  old  John's  condition,  which  Dr.  Briihn  pro- 
nounced to  be  not  at  all  dangerous,  although  his  injury  had 
at  first  seemed  grave.  He  then  gave  a  detailed  account  of 
Werner's  desire  from  the  first  to  go  to  Grtinhagen,  and  of 
how  he  was  not  to  be  dissuaded  from  accepting  Kurt  von 
Poseneck's  invitation,  which,  Amo  admitted,  was  most  amiably 
and  courteously  tendered. 

The  Freiherr  nodded,  well  pleased,  when  he  heard  how  the 
Hohenwald  people  had  refused  to  carry  old  John  to  Grtin- 
hagen, but  he  was  all  the  more  irritated  by  the  Finanzrath's 
acceptance  of  Kurt's  invitation.  "  It  is  disgraceful !"  he  ex- 
claimed. "  How  could  a  Hohenwald  forget  himself  so  far  aa 
to  accept  hospitality  at  the  hands  of  a  beggarly  Poseneck  !" 

"  It  is  not  at  all  nice  of  you,  papa !"  Celia  instantly  de- 
clared, with  flaming  cheeks  and  flashing  eyes.  "  How  can 
you,  who  are  usually  just  and  good,  speak  so  unkindly  of 
Horr  von  Poseneck,  who  has  never  done  anything  to  you  ? 
It  is  poor  thanks  to  him  for  hurrying  out  to  the  quarry  in 
the  storm  to  help  Werner.  And  Werner  was  perfectly  right 
to  accept  the  invitation ;  what  had  he  to  do  with  an  old  worn- 


.?'»R«i^js*^T»fr?»^^|S;j:'5^;;c'  .    '      -  ••  - -j-v  •■■■.^ir'^s.Tt-rga?^,  ■■  fe'-Vv  ;     -      ■■■'---^■^- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  135 

out  feud  ?  Herr  Kurt  von  Foseneck  certainly  had  nci  share 
in  it ;  he  haa  only  lately  arrived  from  America." 

"  Why,  what  an  eloquent  advocate  the  Posenecks  have  in 
our  little  one !"  Amo  rejoined,  before  his  father,  who  was 
quite  speechless  with  astonishment,  could  frame  a  reply. 
"  And  in  truth  she  is  partly  right,  for  the  young  Herr  von 
Poseneck  certainly  conducted  himself  excessively  well  on  this 
occasion ;  nevertheless,  I  did  not  wish  to  accept  his  invita- 
tion, nor  did  Fraulein  Miiller ;  Werner,  however,  is  superior 
to  all  Hohenwald  prejudice.  The  Finanzrath  knows  far  better 
how  to  conduct  himself  than  we,  who  rust  here  in  Castle 
Hohenwald,  possibly  can.  His  father  and  brother  ought  to 
be  banished  to  the  lumber-garret, — eh,  Celia?" 

"  Come,  come ;  have  done  with  sneering,  Amo.  Go  on 
with  your  story,"  the  girl  replied. 

"  You  are  right.  Disputing  cannot  change  matters ;  that 
neither  my  father,  nor  Werner,  nor  I  can  do.  You  and  I 
belong  to  the  old  order  of  affairs,  father ;  we  must  be  content 
to  find  others  leaving  us ;  and  it  is  but  natural  that  Celia  should 
vow  allegiance  to  modem  ideas ;  so  I  will  not  waste  another 
word  upon  the  Posenecks,  although  I  confess  I  practise  self- 
denial  in  not  doing  so."  And  he  finished  his  narrative, 
describing  Anna's  courageous  braving  of  the  storm  and  rain 
on  their  way  to  the  Inspector's  at  the  village  of  Hohenwald, 
where  they  found  warmth  and  shelter,  and  whence  a  mes- 
senger was  despatched  for  Dr.  Briihn,  who  soon  pronounced 
upon  old  John's  case  and  dressed  the  cut  upon  Fraulein 
MuUer's  forehead.  Then,  after  Amo  had  exchanged  his  wet 
clothes  for  a  suit  of  the  Inspector's,  and  Fraulein  Miiller 
had  been  provided  with  garments  from  his  wife's  wardrobe,  a 
village  wagon  had  brought  them  both  to  the  castle. 

The  old  Baron  was  greatly  interested  in  Arno's  account ; 
even  Werner's  visit  to  Griinhagen  was  almost  forgotten  as  he 
eagerly  listened  to  his  son's  narrative.    The  new  governess  was 


136  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

evidently  no  spoiled  city  lady.  He  briefly  expressed  to  hei 
his  admiration  and  gratitude,  and  it  pleased  him  still  more  that 
Anna  quietly  declined  to  accept  any  thanks  for  what  was 
merely  a  matter  of  course  and  of  no  consequence. 

Meanwhile,  it  had  grown  late,  and  still,  contrary  to  his 
custom,  the  Freiherr  leaned  comfortably  back  in  his  rolling- 
chair  and  said  not  one  word  of  retiring,  so  interested  was  he 
in  discussing  the  events  of  the  evening.  Suddenly,  however, 
he  happened  to  glance  at  the  clock,  and  discovering  that  it 
was  just  about  to  strike  one,  he  remembered  how  fatigued 
Friiulein  Miiller  must  be.  Directing  Celia  to  show  her  to  her 
apartment,  he  had  himself  rolled  into  his  bedroom  by  Arno, 
after  wishing  the  new  governess  a  courteous  good-night. 


CHAPTER    VIIL 


"  My  dear  Arno, — You  have  a  right  to  scold.  I  can 
see  you  frown  when  you  learn  that  this  letter  would  have 
reached  you  two  weeks  ago,  if  I  had  fulfilled  my  promise  of 
writing  to  you  about  my  visit  to  my  uncle  Guntram  soon  after 
my  arrival  in  M . 

"  But  man  proposes,  and  a  charming,  smiling  little  blonde 
disposes.  Indeed  she  is  charming  enough  to  make  a  man 
forget  even  the  sacred  claims  of  friendship,  and  so  I  confess 
my  fault,  and  pray  your  forgiveness.  But  I  can  see  the 
frown  deepen  on  your  brow,  you  incorrigible  woman-hater, 
and  you  are  less  inclined  than  ever  to  forgive  upon  such  a 
plea.  What  will  you  say,  then,  when  you  know  the  worst? 
Listen,  and  wonder,  Arno.  I  am  betrothed, — the  happy  lover 
of  the  aforesaid  lovely  little  blonde.     I  beg  leave  to  present 


g^a;:-»i.~>fpC"77"i^i«?^*;S^a-    ..H.-'     .■  -.  ^^-:;  -     -    .--r-_-~K:--K-^^if!r^r-         .-■_■  '    '^^'■■^^■■:-: 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  1^ 

to  you  the  betrothed  pair,  Ad^le  von  Guntram — Karl,  Count 
Styrum.  There  !  Do  not  throw  the  letter  angrily  aside,  or 
you  will  not  learn  how  it  has  all  come  about  so  quickly,  and, 
besides,  you  must  accustom  yourself  to  the  idea  of  receiving, 
upon  your  promised  visit  to  Altenheim,  a  welcome  from  a 
charming  little  Countess  Styrum.  That  your  welcome  from 
her  will  be  of  the  warmest  I  can  assure  you,  for  my  be- 
trothed takes  the  keenest  interest  in  Arno  von  Hohenwald, 
about  whom  she  is  never  weary  of  hearing.  I  might  almost 
be  jealous  of  him  did  I  not  know  his  views  with  regard  to 
women. 

"  And  now  let  me  tell  you  what  is  stranger  than  all,  that 
it  is  owing  to  this  interest  of  Addle's  in  you  that  I  am  now 
her  accepted  lover,  or  rather  that  I  am  so  much  sooner  than 
I  could  otherwise  have  been ;  and  I  will  tell  you  as  briefly  aa 
T  can,  without  breaking  a  promise  I  have  made,  how  this 
came  about. 

"  You  know  I  visited  M on  account  of  the  vexatious 

lawsuit  with  my  uncle  Gruntram  which  I  inherited  from  my 
father,  and  concerning  which  I  hoped  to  effect  some  sort  of 
C!>mpromise.  My  uncle  received  me  with  the  greatest  cor- 
diality, and  we  shotdd  speedily  have  arranged  matters  had  it 
not  been  for  my  cousin  Heinrich,  who,  being  a  newly-fledged 
lawyer,  would  not  hear  of  any  adjustment  of  the  affair.  I 
believe  I  could  not  have  offended  him  more  deeply  than  by 
voluntarily  relinquishing  my  claims.  Now  he  must  put  up 
with  this  offence,  although  it  is  given  in  a  manner  different 
from  any  that  he  could  have  foreseen.  His  zeal  for  litiga- 
tion was  of  the  greatest  service  to  me,  for  it  kept  me  in 

M when  I  thought  my  presence  necessary  at  Altenheim. 

Thus  weeks  and  even  months  passed,  and  I  was  no  nearer  the 
goal  than  at  first,  that  is,  so  far  as  the  lawsuit  was  concerned, 

otherwise  my  stay  in  M was  entirely  delightftd  to  me. 

My  uncle  Guntram  wad  all  that  he  could  be  in  the  way 

12* 


j   •■'"'■    .         ;f 


138  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

of  affectionate  kindness,  Heinrich  extremely  amiable  in  a 
cousinly  way,  and  Ad^le — no,  I  will  not  write  about  Ad^lc, 
for  you  would  only  laugh  at  me  and  call  me  a  love-sick  fool. 

Wait  until  you  come  to  M ,  as  friendship  demands  you 

should  do,  to  be  present  at  my  marriage,  and  you  will  under- 
stand how  welcome  any  pretext  was  to  me  for  a  protracted 
stay  here,  and  how  willingly  I  spent  day  after  day  beneath  my 
uncle's  roof,  passing  the  most  of  my  time  talking  with  Ad^le. 
She  treated  me  in  the  kindest  manner,  but  her  innocent  famili- 
arity, which  was  almost  like  that  she  might  show  to  a  brother, 
made  me  anxious.  A  distant  connection  of  yours,  a  certain 
Assessor  von  Hahn,  frequents  my  uncle's  house,  and  was  evi- 
dently suing  for  my  cousin's  favour.  I  heard  reports  from  all 
sides  of  a  private  betrothal  between  them,  which  was  not  to 
be  announced  until  the  Assessor  had  obtained  the  position  of 
circuit  judge,  since  my  uncle  greatly  disapproved  of  long 
engagements. 

"  I  really  could  not  perceive  that  Ad^le  favoured  the  preten- 
sions of  the  Assessor,  who  is  a  very  well-disposed  but  rather 
ridiculous  little  man ;  but  as  all  the  world  declared  that  it 
was  a  settled  affair,  and  as  even  the  Assessor  himself  let  fall 
several  hints  to  the  same  effect,  I  thought  I  should  be  forced 
to  accept  my  fate.  I  should  never  have  dared  to  tell  my 
charming  cousin  how  dear  she  was  to  me  had  not  you,  Amo, 
without  knowing  it,  lent  me  your  aid. 

"  I  had  oft«n  talked  of  you  to  Ad^le,  telling  her  of  our 
delightful  travels,  and  even  describing  to  her  your  father,  your 
sister  Cecilia,  and  your  surroundings  at  Castle  Hohenwald,  as 
I  had  learned  to  know  them  from  yourself. 

"  When  I  went  to  my  uncle's  this  morning  at  the  usual 
time,  I  found  Adele  alone ;  she  received  me  more  kindly 
than  usual ;  she  even  owned  frankly  that  she  had  for  an  hour 
been  longing  for  my  coming.  Flattering  as  this  reception 
»fas,  I  founded  no  hopes  upon  it,  for  I  saw  that  my  cousin  waa 


fp^r^5?«F5^^'«B!5pr?^'- -V     '  -^      -■■-■-■:     -■    "■,    -■■-;-■     i":^-:S^=r^r-^-         ■_.'.:•  .    •■;  ^-SS!^  : 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  139 

desirous  to  acquaint  me  with  some  plan,  in  the  execution  of 
which  she  looked  to  me  for  assistance.  She  was  in  a  state  of 
feverish  agitation  ;  at  times  she  would  look  at  me  with  an  ex- 
pression of  intense  entreaty,  and  then,  just  when  I  hoped  she 
was  about  to  speak  frankly  of  what  was  nearest  her  heart,  she 
would  introduce  some  indifferent  topic  of  conversation.  At 
last  she  evidently  summoned  up  courage  sufficient  to  enable 
her  to  bestow  her  confidence  upon  me.  '  Cousin  Karl,'  she 
said,  in  her  sweet,  gentle  voice,  *  I  have  a  very,  very  great 
favour  to  ask  of  you.'  I  need  not  tell  you  how  fervently  I 
assured  her  that  she  could  not  ask  what  it  would  not  be  my 
delight  to  grant.  She  then  proceeded  to  tell  me  that  her 
dearest  friend,  a  Fraulein  Anna  Miiller,  who  had  been  her 
schoolmate  at  Frau  Adelung's,  in  Dresden,  was  forced  by 
dire  misfortune  to  seek  a  position  as  governess.  Frau  von 
A-delung  had  recommended  the  young  lady  to  your  brother 
Werner  for  your  sister  Celia,  and  Fraulein  Miiller  was  to  start 
for  Hohenwald  this  very  day.  The  mighty  favour  that  AdMe 
asked  of  me  was  to  write  to  you  and  exert  my  influence  with 
you  to  insure  the  young  lady  a  favourable  reception  at  Castle 
Hohenwald.  I  never  can  tell  so  evil-minded  a  woman-hater 
as  yourself  how  exquisitely  lovely  Adele  was  as  she  thus 
pleaded  with  me  for  her  friend,  nor  how  it  happened  that  I 
retained  the  hand  I  took  in  mine  and  forgot  all  the  silly 
stories  about  the  Assessor  von  Hahn.  Indeed,  I  do  not 
know  where  I  found  the  courage  to  tell  her  how  inexpressibly 
dear  she  was  to  me,  and  how  life  had  no  greater  joy  for  me 
than  the  hope  of  keeping  for  my  very  own  forever  the  hand 
I  then  held.  I  was  afraid  she  would  instantly  withdraw  it, 
but  she  did  not,  and — no,  I  will  only  tell  you  that  I  am  the 
happiest  fellow  in  the  world.  Uncle  Guntram,  when  he  came 
from  his  study  shortly  afterwards,  found  us  betrothed,  and 
gave  us  his  blessing,  assuring  me  that  his  dearest  wish  was 
fulfilled  in  our  betrothal,  and  adding  that  Ad^le  should  have 


140  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

the  lawsuit  for  her  dowry,  so  that  if  I  wished  to  continue  it 
I  could  do  so  with  my  wife.  Heinrich  made  a  wry  face  at 
this,  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  he  offered  us  his 
brotherly  congratulations. 

"  Thus,  you  see,  I  owe  my  being  the  happy  lover  that  I 
am  to  you,  Arno,  for  had  it  not  been  for  Ad^le's  request  I 
never  should  have  had  the  courage  to  confess  to  her  that  T 
loved  her.  The  bugbear  of  her  betrothal  to  Herr  von  Hahn 
would  have  prevented  my  speaking  frankly  to  her.  Ad^le 
laughed  at  me  when  I  told  her  this,  and  rallied  me  upon  lend- 
ing an  ear  to  such  silly  gossip. 

"  And  now,  Arno,  that  my  confession  is  made,  my  next 
duty  is  to  fulfil  my  love's  request,  and  cordially  to  recom- 
mend her  friend  to  your  kindness.  I  do  this  with  a  good 
conscience ;  she  is  a  cultivated,  highly-gifted  person.  I  con- 
gratulate your  sister  that  your  brother  succeeded  in  inducing 
her  to  come  to  Castle  Hohenwald.  I  as  well  as  Ad61e  am 
convinced  that  Fraulein  Miiller's  talents  and  acquirements  will 
achieve  for  her  an  honoured  position  in  your  father's  house- 
hold, and  Ad^le  hopes  for  more  yet ;  she  trusts  that  her 
friend  in  the  solitude  of  Hohenwald,  in  a  refined  family 
circle,  may  in  time  forget  the  misfortunes  that  have  befallen 
her,  and  that  your  kindness  may  assist  her  to  do  so.  I  know 
your  magnanimity  and  delicacy  of  sentiment,  and  that  you 
only  need  be  told  that  Fraulein  Miiller,  owing  to  no  fault  of 
her  own,  is  very  unhappy,  and  that  any  allusion  to  her  past, 
any  question  with  regard  to  it,  would  be  extremely  painful  to 
her.  To  alleviate  her  sorrow  she  only  needs  cordial  kindness, 
confidence  which  she  deserves  in  fullest  measure,  and  con- 
siderate regard.  All  these  I  know  she  will  find  at  Castle 
Hohenwald,  and  ^mong  you  she  will  not  be  subjected  to  a 
curiosity  to  which  she  would  be  specially  sensitive.  You  will 
forgive  me  for  communicating  no  further  particulars  to  you 
with  regard  to  the  lady's  past  when  I  tell  you  that  I  am 


■KT^     -.       ^^^*" 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  141 

bound  by  a  promise.  I  know  that  you  will  be  content  with 
my  declaration  that  I  vouch  for  Fraulein  Miiller's  blameless 
integrity  and  purity  of  character.  When  you  receive  this  she 
will  already  be  beneath  your  roof;  let  me  pray  you  not  to 
let  her  know  that  I  have  written  to  you,  and  my  Ad^le  will 

thank  you  for  not  doing  so  when  you  come  to  M to  our 

marriage. 

"  One  thing  more  before  this  long  letter  is  concluded : 
with  regard  to  your  nearest  neighbor,  my  cousin,  Kurt  von 
Poseneck,  I  have  heard  something  of  an  hereditary  feud 
between  the  Hohenwalds  and  the  Posenecks,  but  I  know  you 
too  well  to  suspect  you  of  giving  heed  to  any  such  folly,  and 
therefore  I  cordially  commend  my  cousin  to  your  kindness. 
Kurt's  life  in  America  has  been  the  best  of  training  for  him ; 
he  is  a  fine  fellow.  I  learned  to  know  him  well  when  he  paid 
me  a  visit  at  Altenheim  not  long  ago,  and  I  assure  you  that 
I  have  rarely  seen  a  young  man  so  greatly  to  my  mind,  as  I 
know  he  will  be  to  yours.  Although  we  are  antagonistic  in 
politics  (he  is  a  democrat,  as  was  his  father  before  him),  I 
enjoyed  every  moment  of  his  stay  with  me  at  Altenheim,  for 
even  in  a  political  discussion  Kurt  never  forgets  that  he  is  a 
gentleman.  He  defends  his  views  with  spirit,  but  with  such 
calmness  and  moderation  that  he  is  never  offensive.  I  am 
sure  you  will  soon  be  friends,  if  you  will  only  consent  to  break 
the  spell  of  your  solitude  so  far  as  to  become  acquainted  with 
him. 

"  And  now  adieu !  Grod  bless  you  !  Woman-hater  though 
you  be,  your  congratulations  are  confidently  expected  by 

"  Yours  always, 

"Karl  Sttbum." 

Amo  laid  the  letter  aside,  after  he  had  read  it,  with  a  sigh. 
He  had  found  it  with  his  other  letters  by  the  day's  post  upon 
his  table  after  he  had  left  the  garden-room,  as  we  have  seer 


-'■".'^•f^y^W-c" 


142  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

long  after  midnight.  "  He,  too  !"  he  muttered  to  himself, 
with  another  sigh,  and  then  he  read  the  letter  for  the  becond 
and  third  time,  his  face  darkening  as  he  read.  After  the  third 
perusal  he  sat  for  a  long  time  lost  in  thought,  and  finally  took 
up  a  pen  and  wrote  : 

"  My  dear  Karl, — You  expect  congratulations  from  your 
friend  ;  it  is  indeed  an  ancient  custom  to  offer  kind  wishes  to 
the  newly  betrothed,  and  I  follow  it  all  the  more  readily  as  in 
my  case  I  employ  no  empty,  idle  phrase  when  I  wish  you 
happiness  with  all  my  heart.  We  have  always  agreed  to  be 
frank  and  true  in  our  dealings  with  each  other,  and  never  to 
shun  entire  openness  through  fear  of  giving  offence.  I  now 
fiilfil  my  share  of  our  compact.  Indeed,  after  reading  your 
letter  three  times  I  cannot  but  reply  to  you,  my  only  intimate 
friend,  as  my  heart  dictates  upon  the  impulse  of  the  moment, 
not  as  I  might  after  long  and  cool  consideration.  Therefore 
this  is  no  formal  letter  of  congratulation,  but  the  true  and 
faithful  reply  of  a  friend.  Yes,  I  wish  you  all  happiness,  but 
I  do  so  with  a  heavy  heart,  for  I  know  how  much  I  lose  by 
your  betrothal, — I,  who  have  hitherto  held  the  foremost  place 
in  your  regard,  must  content  myself  with  the  second,  and  I 
shall  shortly,  as  mournful  experience  teaches,  lose  this  also, 
for  love  is  the  mortal  foe  of  friendship.  Both  cannot  exist 
together  in  the  same  heart.  Thus  I  know  that  I  have  already 
half  lost  you,  and  shall  soon  lose  you  entirely,  for  I  shall 
never  be  content  with  the  cold  modicum  of  regard  which  is 
all  that  the  bridegroom  and  husband  has  for  an  every-day  ac- 
quaintance. This  pains  me  profoundly.  You  were  the  only 
man  in  whom  I  could  thoroughly  confide, — the  only  one  to 
whom  I  could  look  for  entire  comprehension  and  sympathy. 
Nevertheless,  I  wish  you  happiness,  and  my  wish  is  all  the 
moi3  fervent  since  I  dread  its  non-fulfilment.  Yes,  my  pain 
in  losing  you  is  augmented  by  my  fears  for  your  fiiture.     I 


-V^J^^^*^3***^**i?!^^  ^V^~-'^.''%'^^:>^«^- '. '■  ■- "'■    _-'-.-        ■  ^  '      '■■--'^f^s 


CASTLF  nOHENWALD.  U3 

kuow  you,  and  I  know  that  you  never  can  content  yourself  aa 
can  so  many  unless  your  marriage  brings  you  ftill  sympathy 
of  heart  and  mind.  You  are  in  love,  and  I  know  from  sad 
experience  that  love  drugs  the  intellect  and  bewilders  the 
judgment.  You  will,  therefore,  doubtless  regard  my  doubts 
SB  to  your  future  as  a  positive  crime  against  your  betrothed, 
but  I  must  be  frank  with  you,  my  regard  for  you  demands  it. 
I  repeat,  I  wish  you  joy ;  you  need  all  good  wishes,  and  if  I 
could  I  would  close  this  letter  with  mine,  for  my  head  and 
heart  are  so  full  of  your  betrothal  that  there  is  hardly  room 
in  them  for  another  thought,  but  you  have  made  a  request  of 
me  to  which  I  must  reply. 

"  Fraulein  Miiller,  your  betrothed's  friend,  has  been  for  sev- 
eral hours  in  Castle  Hohenwald,  to  which  I  myself  introduced 
her  after  a  most  extraordinary  fashion.  Of  this  I  will  write 
you  shortly.  I  will  only  tell  you  now  that  I  have  already  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  admire  the  lady's  rare  courage.  She 
has  by  her  beauty  and  her  frank  attractive  bearing  already 
taken  Celia's  heart  by  storm  and  conquered  my  father's  preju- 
dice against  her.  I  received  your  letter  afier  her  arrival 
here,  and  therefore  could  not  comply  with  your  request  as  to 
her  reception,  but  rest  assured  that  the  lady  herself  insured 
its  cordiality  far  better  than  I  could  have  done.  I  could 
not  have  believed  it  possible  that  my  father  should  treat  a 
stranger  with  such  urbanity,  although  a  few  hours  before 
Fraulein  Miiller' s  arrival  he  had  scouted  the  idea  of  any 
friendly  familiar  intercourse  with  the  new  governess,  and  had 
declared  that  while  Celia's  companion  and  teacher  was  entitled 
to  a  courteous  and  respectfiil  reception  in  Castle  Hohenwald, 
she  could  lay  no  claim  to  admission  within  our  family  circle. 
Fraulein  Miiller  can  have  no  cause  to  complain  of  any  want  of 
the  cordiality  you  desire  in  my  father's  or  Celia's  welcome,  but 
the  requirement  of  such  from  me  is,  unfortunately,  a  demand 
with  which  I  cannot  comply.     You  know  how  I  value  your 


■^  -•>:'(.;^^^^ 


144  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

opinion,  bow  liiglily  I  rate  your  recommendation  ;  it  is  a  war 
rant  to  me  tliat  the  lady  is  deserving  of  all  regard.  I  promise 
you  that  she  shall  be  annoyed  by  no  curiosity  as  to  her  past, 
and  that  I  will  do  all  that  I  can  to  conceal  from  her  the  dis- 
;;omfort  that  her  stay  among  us  causes  me.  More  I  cannot 
promise.  You  would  not  ask  me  to  be  false  to  my  nature, 
and  I  tell  you  frankly  that  I  have  an  invincible  repugnance 
to  all  intercourse  with  this  young  person,  which  is  rather  in- 
creased by  the  fact  that  she  is  beautiful,  cultured,  and  amiable, 
and  that  I  cannot  refuse  to  accord  her  a  certain  degree  of 
esteem  in  view  of  the  admirable  courage  she  displayed  this 
evening  under  exceedingly  trying  circumstances. 

"  To  treat  her  with  cordiality  is  impossible  for  me  ;  I  will 
keep  out  of  her  way  as  far  as  I  can.  I  will  always  observe 
every  rule  of  conventional  courtesy  in  my  unavoidable  inter- 
course with  her,  and,  in  deference  to  your  request,  will  en- 
deavour to  make  her  position  in  the  household  as  pleasant  as  it 
can  be  under  the  circumstances  ;  you  will  not  ask  more  of  me. 
Enough  for  to-night.  In  a  few  days  I  will  write  you  a  de- 
tailed account  of  my  adventures  in  bringing  Fraulein  Miiller 
to  Castle  Hohenwald,  and  of  my  encounter  with  your  cousin 
Kurt  von  Poseneck,  whom  I  saw  for  a  moment  upon  the 
same  occasion.  Farewell,  and  do  not  be  angry  with  me  for 
perhaps  mingling  one  bitter  drop  in  your  cup  of  happiness, — 
I  could  not  help  it.  I  must  always  be  utterly  frank  and  true 
with  you. 

"  Always  and  all  ways  your  faithful  friend, 

"  Arno  von  Hohenwald." 

The  letter  was  finished ;  but  when  Arno  read  it  over  he 
was  not  satisfied  with  its  contents.  He  had  meant  to  tell 
b.is  friend  in  heartsome  words  how  he  feared  for  his  future ; 
but  now  that  they  were  there  on  the  paper  in  black  and 
white  they  seemed  cold  and  insulting.  It  was  but  a  poor  reply 
to  Karl's  warm-hearted  letter.     And  he  was  no  better  pleased 


''f^fl^^^r;W:::^^'^:T^.^^^^  ■  -    ■    •  ^^>7  ■  .^spTr^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  145 

either  with  what  he  had  written  about  Fraulein  Miiller.    He 
had  meant  to  be  perfectly  candid  and  true  to  his  friend.    Had 
he  not  promised  always  to  be  so  ?  and  this  surely  justified 
all  he  had  said.     But  was  what  he  had  written  quite  true  ? 
Did  he  feel  an  invincible  repugnance  to  any  familiar  inter- 
course with  Fraulein  Miiller  ?    Had  she  not,  on  the  contrary, 
inspired  him  with  an  inexplicable  interest  which  he  vainly 
tried  to  suppress?    While  he  was  writing  she  was  perpetually 
in  his  mind.     He  had  been  obliged  once  to  lay  down  his  pen 
because  her  image  so  flitted  before  him  ;  he  saw  her  walking 
beside  him  through  the  night  and  the  tempest,  braving  the 
storm  so  boldly,  and  yet  without  doing  violence  to  a  true 
feminine  nature.     Even  on  the  road  to  the  village  of  Ho- 
henwald  he  had  tried  to  resist  the  impression  that  the  first 
sight  of  this  charming  girl  had  made  upon  him,  but  in  vain, 
although  he  conjured  to  his  aid  the  ghosts  of  a  vanished  past 
He  would  gladly  have  detested  this  stranger  thus  thrust  into 
his  life ;  he  heaped  her  with  all  kinds  of  accusations,  and  yet 
confessed  to  himself  that  they  were  all  unjust.     What  reason 
had  he  for  crediting  her  with  a  desire  for  admiration  ?  had 
she  sought  by  look  or  by  gesture  to  attract  him  ?     Would 
Styrum  have  commended  her  so  warmly  if  she  had  not  been 
worthy  of  all  praise?     Still,  why  should  she  alone  of  all 
women  be  careless  of  admiiation  ?     No ;    Styrum  was  in 
love ;  he  saw  with  his  betrothed's  eyes.     He  was  credulous, 
and  had  not  purchased  with  his  heart's  blood  the  sad  expe- 
rience that  the  most  innocent  of  smiles  upon  lovely  lips  is 
but  a  prearranged  means  to  some  desired  end.     Poor  Karl  I 
he  had  not  seen  through  the  game  they  were  playing  with 
him,  or  he  would  not  have  fallen  into  their  toils  so  easily. 
The  rich  Count,  belonging  as  he  did  to  the  foremost  of  the 
Saxon  nobility,  would  at  any  time  have  been  considered  by 
the  President  Guntram  as  an  excellent  parti  for  his  daughter ; 
but  the  prospect  of  a  happy  conclusion  to  the  lawsuit  had 
K  13 


-I^JWW,-' 


146  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

doubtless  made  the  matcli  doubly  desirable.  Therefore  it 
was  that  the  engagement  between  the  fair  Ad^le  and  the 
Assessor  had  been  dissolved,  and  no  means  had  been  neglected 
to  bring  the  Count  to  a  declaration.  Interest  for  her  friend 
had  afiforded  Ad^e  an  excellent  opportunity  to  treat  her 
cousin  with  flattering  confidence,  and  she  had  won  the  game. 
Poor  Karl !  in  his  noble  trust  in  innocence  and  purity  he  had 
fallen  a  victim  to  an  excellently-laid  plan,  and  was  now  made 
use  of  by  Ad61e  to  insure  her  friend  a  firm  footing  in  Castle 
Hohenwald.  Arno  could  not  but  laugh  at  himself  Had  he 
really  been  in  danger  of  proving  false  to  his  principles  ?  Ho 
had  seen  through  the  game  at  the  right  moment,  however, — 
the  suspicion  that  had  been  aroused  on  the  road  to  Hohen- 
wald now  became  a  certainty,  and  what  he  had  written  to 
his  friend  was  the  truth.  Yes,  he  now  felt  an  invincible 
repugnance  to  any  closer  intercourse  with  this  intriguing 
stranger,  who  had  selected  Castle  Hohenwald  as  the  theatre 
for  her  schemes.  The  letter  should  be  despatched  just  as  it 
was.  He  folded  and  sealed  it,  and  then  betook  himself  to 
rest.  The  day's  exertions  had  wearied  him,  and  he  soon  slept, 
but  the  image  of  the  lovely  stranger  mingled  in  his  dreams. 
The  stranger  herself  stood  at  the  window  of  the  room  to 
which  Celia  had  shown  her,  and  gazed  out  into  the  gloomy 
night ;  she  heard  the  howling  of  the  wind  and  the  beating  of 
the  rain  against  the  panes,  but  she  did  not  heed  them,  for 
before  her  mind's  eye  rose  a  form  that  made  her  oblivious  of 
the  present.  She  shuddered  as  she  looked  back  to  that  last 
terrible  night  spent  beneath  the  same  roof  with  the  wretch 
who  would  have  bartered  his  wife's  honour  for  a  release  from 
poverty  and  detection.  She  had  clung  to  him  faithfully,  had 
always  conscientiously  fulfilled  her  duty  to  him,  hoping  that 
she  might  perhaps  in  the  end  influence  him  for  good.  She 
had  forgiven  him  for  squandering  her  property,  for  plunging 
her  into  poverty,  although  she  no  longer  loved  him,  and  waa 


:^""'"'r^*>*3^™-  f^/'f?.:5'H  ■'-    ~:"n.  ■  -    '  ■--■--,%  •v'SgsTij 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  I47 

bound  to  him  only  by  a  sense  of  duty ;  but  that  he  could  so 
dishonour  her  as  actually  to  wish  to  sell  her  to  the  Russian  was 
a  sin  never  to  be  forgiven, — ^it  separated  her  from  him  forever 

He  had  spoken  the  decisive  word  himself,  he  had  restored 
to  her  her  freedom,  lured  by  false  hopes  perhaps,  but  he  had 
done  so  unconditionally,  and  she  was  now  her  own  mistress ; 
she  no  longer  felt  the  chains  that  had  bound  her  to  her  wretched 
husband ;  they  might  exist  for  the  world,  but  no  longer  for 
herself,  for  her  own  conscience.  When  on  that  dreadful 
night  she  had  bolted  herself  into  her  bedroom,  her  resolution 
was  already  taken.  Without  hesitation  she  proceeded  to 
carry  it  out.  She  exchanged  her  ball-dress  for  a  simple 
stuff  gown  ;  she  packed  a  few  necessary  articles  of  clothing 
in  a  travelling-bag,  and  hastily  wrote  these  lines :  "  You  have 
given  back  to  me  my  freedom  ;  I  accept  it.  It  is  your  desire 
that  we  should  part ;  it  shall  be  fdlfilled  :  you  will  never  see 
me  again.  Should  you  dare  to  persecute  me,  you  will  force 
me  to  denounce  you  publicly  and  to  give  to  the  world  the 
reasons  that  justify  my  conduct.  The  detected  thief,  who 
would  barter  his  wife's  honour,  has  forfeited  the  right  to 
control  her  destiny. — Lucie." 

Her  hand  did  not  tremble  as  she  wrote  these  words.  She 
folded  the  sheet,  sealed  it  and  placed  it  where  its  addresB 
could  be  plainly  seen  by  any  one  entering  the  room. 

It  was  done  !  She  was  parted  from  him  forever.  A 
shudder  ran  through  her  as  she  thought  of  his  threat  of 
suicide  if  she  refused  to  accede  to  his  wishes,  but  the  thought 
did  not  for  an  instant  deter  her.  Only  the  coward,  whose 
courage  is  never  equal  to  the  commission  of  the  deed,  can 
threaten  suicide;  if  he  could  have  preferred  death  to  dis- 
grace he  never  would  have  been  a  detected  thief. 

She  cautiously  unbolted  her  door  and  crept  through  the 
d/awing-room  to  the  hall,  upon  which  the  door  of  Sorr's  sleep- 
ing-room opened.      Here  she  paused  and  listened, — he  was 


148  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

wont  to  breathe  heavily  in  his  sleep, — but  she  could  hear 
nothing :  a  proof  that  he  was  still  awake.  What  if  he  should 
hear  her  and  come  from  his  room  to  prevent  het  departure  ? 
What  then  ?  The  wonted  gentleness  of  her  look  gave  place 
to  stern  determination  ;  involuntarily  she  clinched  her  hand  ; 
the  struggle  had  begun,  and  should  under  all  circumstances 
be  carried  on. 

Fortunately,  however,  she  encountered  no  obstacle  to  her 
progress  down  the  stairs  to  the  house-door,  which  she  softly 
opened  and  as  softly  closed  behind  her.  The  streets  were 
deserted ;  she  passed  a  watchman  asleep  on  a  doorstep,  and 
walked  as  quickly  as  possible  towards  the  President's  mansion 
without  being  seen  by  a  human  being.  The  windows  of  the 
house  were  still  gleaming  with  light,  and  there  was  a  long  line 
of  carriages  in  the  street  before  it.  Lucie  paused  and  hesi- 
tated for  a  moment.  The  ball  was  not  yet  over.  She  had 
hoped  this  would  be  the  case ;  else  it  would  have  been  difficult 
for  her  to  obtain  an  entrance  to  the  house.  But  how  was  she 
to  pass  the  line  of  carriages  ?  So  late  a  wanderer  would  be 
sure  to  be  noticed  by  the  coachmen  and  lackeys,  and  she 
might  be  the  object  of  coarse  jests.  Perhaps  the  little  gate 
leading  from  the  garden  into  a  side  street  was  open  :  it  was 
seldom  locked ;  and  even  should  it  be  so,  she  could  easily 
climb  the  low  garden-fence.  She  was  not  to  be  stopped  by 
such  an  obstacle  ;  from  the  garden,  the  wing  in  which  was 
Ad^le's  room  was  easily  entered  by  a  back-door,  which  was, 
of  course,  still  open,  and  once  in  the  house  she  could  soon 
make  her  way  to . Ad^le's  room. 

She  hurried  into  the  side  street.  The  garden-gate  was  not 
locked,  nor  was  the  back-door  even  closed.  Fortune  favoured 
her;  not  a  servant  did  she  encounter  as  she  hurried  up  a 
narrow  staircase  and  along  the  passage  leading  to  her  friend's 
room,  which  she  reached  without  being  observed.  Arrived 
here,  she  sank  down  upon  the  little  lounge  where  she  had  sc 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  149 

often  sat  conversing  gayly  with  Ad61e,  upon  whose  aid  she 
now  relied  in  her  plan  of  flight. 

An  hour  passed  slowly ;  the  music  floated  in  from  the 
ball-room ;  but  at  last  it  ceased ;  there  was  a  bustle  of  de- 
parting guests,  servants  ran  to  and  fro  in  the  house,  and  the 
rattle  of  carriages  told  Lucie  that  the  ball  was  at  an  end. 
Another  half-hour  went  by ;  the  house  grew  quieter,  the 
bustle  entirely  subsided ;  there  were  steps  in  the  passage, 
and  Heinrich  von  Guntram's  voice  said,  "  Groo<^-night,  Ad^le. 
Shall  I  light  your  candle  for  you  ?" 

"  Oh,  no  ;  there  are  matches  on  the  table  Grood-night, 
Heinrich." 

"Good-night." 

The  door  opened.  Ad^le  entered,  bolted  it  behind  her, 
and  then,  going  to  the  table  in  front  of  the  sofa,  lighted  a 
match,  by  the  flickering  light  of  which  she  distinguished 
a  dark  figure  sitting  on  the  sofa.  She  gasped  with  terror 
and  ran  towards  the  door,  but  was  instantly  arrested  in  her 
flight  by  the  gentle  tones  of  a  familiar  voice,  whispering, 
"  Don't  be  frightened,  dearest  AdMe ;  it  is  I, — Lucie  !" 

"  You — ^you  here  at  this  hour  ?" 

"  I  need  your  help,  Ad61e.  Li  my  extremest  misery  I 
bcek  reftige  with  you,  my  dearest  friend." 

In  an  instant  Ad^le's  arms  were  about  her,  and  the 
tenderest  assurances  of  sympathy  and  aid  were  poured  into 
her  friend's  ear.  Then  she  drew  the  curtains  close  and 
lighted  the  candles,  before  seating  herself  beside  Lucie  and 
entrtiiting  her  to  tell  her  all, 

Lucie  complied ;  she  told  her  of  her  wretched  past  with 
her  worthless  husband,  and  of  the  incidents  of  the  last  few 
hours,  remaining  perfectly  calm  amid  the  storm  of  indigna- 
tion with  which  her  friend  greeted  her  narrative.  Anger 
was  dead  within  her,  slain  by  the  thorough  contempt  she 
now  felt  for  Sorr. 

18* 


'  J»ffgS:;s-1^^ 


150  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  And  now,  dear  Ad^le,"  ste  concluded,  "  I  come  to  claim 
your  aid.  Your  last  words  to  me  this  evening  when  I  left 
the  ball-room  were,  *  Trust  in  me ;  whatever  happens,  I  will 
stand  by  you.'  This  has  given  me  courage  to  take  this  de- 
cided step  to  break  the  fetters  that  bound  me  to  one  so  un- 
worthy. I  knew  I  should  not  be  quite  alone,  that  you  would 
not  desert  me,  and  therefore  I  come  to  you." 

"  Never,  Lucie  dear,  never ;  and  not  only  I, — there  is 
another  whose  aid  will  be  of  more  use  to  you  than  that  of  a 
poor  weak  girl.  My  cousin  Karl  told  me  every  detail  of  the 
miserable  scene  in  Heinrich's  room  ;  he  suspected  you  would 
soon  need  protection  and  assistance,  and  is  ready  to  give  it  to 
you.  You  may  trust  him  ;  he  is  a  noble,  true-hean  ^d  man, 
and  has  promised  me  to  befriend  you  at  your  need.  Be  sure 
he  will  keep  his  promise.  He  will  advise  us  what  is  best  to 
be  done." 

"  I  do  not  need  any  advice,"  Lucie  gravely  rejoined ;  "  my 
resolution  is  taken,  my  plans  for  the  ftiture  are  arranged.  I 
need  the  help  of  faithful  friends  only  in  their  execution.  I 
shall  be  grateful  for  Count  Styrum's  help ;  but  later,  when 
I  am  no  longer  here." 

"  What  do  you  propose  to  do  ?" 

"  Herr  von  Sorr  has  given  me  my  freedom.  I  will  employ 
it  in  beginning  a  new  life.  For  years  I  have  foreseen  that  I 
should  one  day  be  obliged  to  turn  to  account  for  my  support 
the  accomplishments  acquired  during  my  girlhood,  and  I 
have  continued  to  study  with  this  end  in  view.  I  am 
perfectly  qualified  to  fill  a  position  as  governess.  Such  a 
position  I  shall  endeavour  to  find  in  some  retired  country- 
Beat,  but  in  order  to  obtain  it  I  need  testimonials,  with  which 
so  young  a  man  as  Count  Styrum  cannot  furnish  me.  I 
have  therefore  thought  of  writing  to  our  dear  old  teacher, 
Frau  von  Adelung,  in  Dresden.  I  remember  that  she  was 
constantly  applied  to  for  governesses.     But  I  am  afraid  io  con- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  151 

fide  wholly  in  her.  With  the  best  intentions  she  is  something 
of  a  gossip,  and  would  find  it  difficult  to  keep  my  secret,  and 
yet  her  recommendation  I  must  obtain.  When  Herr  von 
Sorr  finds  my  letter  to-morrow  and  discovers  that  I  am  fled, 
he  will,  I  know,  together  with  Count  Kepuin,  leave  no  stone 
unturned  to  discover  my  retreat.  He  will  not  be  deterred 
even  by  the  threat  in  my  letter,  and  he  must  learn  nothing, 
and  therefore  I  cannot  confide  in  good  Frau  von  Adelung. 
You  must  write  to  her  and  bespeak  her  good  offices  for  a 
friend  of  yours  ;  you  were  always  one  of  her  favourites,  and 
she  will  not  hesitate  to  comply  with  your  request.  I  am  sure, 
dearest  AdMe,  you  will  do  this  for  me." 

Lucie's  scheme  seemed  to  her  Mend  admirable,  and  she 
declared  herself  ready  to  do  all  that  she  could  to  ftirther  it : 
but  when  Lucie  went  on  to  state  that  she  intended  to  leave 

M the  next  morning  by  the  five  o'clock  train,  to  await  in 

some  retired  village  the  result  of  her  friend's  action,  Ad^le 
reused  to  entertain  any  such  idea.    Nowhere,  she  said,  could 

Lucie  be  so  safe  from  Sorr's  persecution  as  in  M ,  where 

he  certainly  would  never  expect  to  find  her.  The  arrival  of 
a  lady  alone  and  unattended  in  any  little  village  would  surely 
excite  remark,  while  Lucie  might  stay  for  weeks  in  AdMes 
room  and  her  presence  beneath  the  President's  roof  never  be 
suspected.  Ad61e  never  received  her  friends  in  her  bedroom  or 
dressing-room,  and  neither  her  father  nor  her  brother  ever 
came  to  her  there.  All  that  was  to  be  done  was  to  take  Lina, 
Addle's  special  maid,  into  their  confidence, — she  had  lived  in 
the  house  for  years,  and  a  more  faithftd,  trustworthy  creature 
there  could  not  be.  Ad^le's  representations  overcame  her 
friend's  scruples,  and  it  was  agreed  to  admit  the  maid  to  a  frdl 
knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  case.  And  when  the  dawn  was 
at  hand  the  two  friends  retired  to  bed,  Ad^e  happier  with 
regard  to  Lucie  than  she  had  been  for  a  long  while. 

The  next  morning  when  Lina  came  to  call  her  young  mis< 


-•:  jr~:--<.-5^» 


152  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

tress  her  surprise  was  great  at  finding  a  new  inmate  in  the 
room,  of  whose  coming  no  one  had  been  aware.  Ad^le  told 
her  the  true  reason  for  Frau  von  Sorr's  flight  from  her  hus- 
band's roof,  and  Lina,  flattered  by  the  confidence  shown  her, 
promised  to  keep  such  guard  over  the  fugitive  that  no  one 
should  dream  of  her  whereabouts,  while  she  should  daily  fare 
like  an  honoured  guest,  without  arousing  the  suspicions  of 
the  other  servants. 

She  kept  her  word,  which  she  would  have  done  out  of  her 
faithful  devotion  to  Ad^le  alone,  even  if  Frau  von  Sorr's  gen- 
tleness and  misfortunes  had  not  excited  her  sympathy  and 
spurred  her  on  to  redoubled  watchfulness  The  scheme 
was  eminently  successful.  Neither  the  President  nor  Hein- 
rich  nor  any  of  the  other  inmates  of  the  house  ever  suspected 
that  Lucie  von  Sorr,  whose  sudden  disappearance  was  the 
town-talk  of  M ,  was  concealed  in  Ad^le's  room. 

The  President,  at  the  dinner-table,  expressed  his  surprise 
that  so  beautiful  a  woman  could  have  contrived  to  vanish 
utterly  without  a  trace.  He  told  how  Herr  von  Sorr  had 
applied  to  the  police  for  assistance  in  his  search  for  his 
wife  ;  that  inquiry  had  been  made  of  all  the  hack-drivers  of 
the  town  and  the  porters  at  the  railway  stations.  No  one 
could  remember  having  seen  the  fugitive ;  an  extraordinary 
fact  in  view  of  the  lady's  remarkable  beauty.  Herr  von  Sorr 
was  beside  himself,  and  feared  that  his  wife  might  have  been 
driven  to  suicide  by  the  strange  reports  circulating  in  the  town. 

Adele  listened  to  all  this  in  silence,  and  reported  it  to  her 
friend  afterwards. 

In  a  few  days  many  visitors  made  their  appearance  at  the 
President's,  in  hopes  of  learning  something  satisfactory  from 
Ad^le,  who  was  well  known  to  be  Frau  von  Sorr's  nearest 
friend.  Among  them  were  Madame  Gransauge  and  Frau  von 
Hose,  the  Messrs.  von  Saldern  and  von  Arnim,  Assessor  vod 
Hahn,  and  others,  all  craving  information. 


*-5f^fF^-^7T^i®^ '•■'t  ,  '  '    --■-■-:    --'^'-^   <]"--.:.. ."^-'"Vf  ^-:^^r^  .^■:'\   v-,  :■■'  _;  ■ ,     r   --  -■"^-^^^' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  153 

AdMe  listened  to  all  that  they  had  to  say,  but  had  nothing 
to  tell  them.  She  could  not  imagine  why  her  friend  had 
left  M so  suddenly ;  she  could  not  look  upon  her  disap- 
pearance as  a  flight,  and  she  feigned  a  fresh  interest  in  every 
repetition  of  the  reports  circulating  in  M . 

It  was  positively  certain,  the  wife  of  Major  Gansauge  as- 
serted, that  Frau  von  Sorr  had  destroyed  herself, — a  peasant 
had  seen  her  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  near  the  Marble 
Gate,  close  by  the  large  pond.  The  body  had  not  yet  been 
found,  but  doubtless  would  be  shortly.  Count  Repuin  waa 
quite  inconsolable,  far  more  so  than  Herr  von  Sorr,  who  bore 
his  trial  with  more  equanimity. 

Frau  von  Rose  knew  from  the  very  best  authority — she 
was  not  at  liberty  to  mention  names — that  Count  Repuin  and 
Herr  von  Sorr  had  a  violent  quarrel.  The  Count  would  not 
believe  that  Sorr  was  ignorant  of  his  wife's  whereabouts. 
The  affair  was  certainly  very  odd,  for  the  Count  behaved  pre- 
cisely as  though  his  wife,  and  not  Herr  von  Sorr's,  had  run 
away,  and  had  threatened  the  husband  with  some  dire 
revenge  if  the  fdgitive  were  not  shortly  discovered. 

The  Assessor  von  Hahn  was  more  cautious  in  his  erpres- 
sions ;  he  hinted  that  Frau  von  Sorr  had  made  a  profound 
impression  upon  Count  Styrom,  and  that  the  Count  had  per- 
haps been  willing  to  shield  her  from  Count  Repuin's  persecu- 
tions. The  Assessor  remarked  that  he  was  too  discreet  to 
say  more  ;  he  did  not  boast  of  it,  for  discretion  was  a  gift  of 
nature,  and  her  bounties  were  variously  distributed ;  discre- 
tion was  one  of  his  natural  endowments,  therefore  he  would 
be  silent. 

All  these  contradictory  reports  which  Ad^le  heard  from 
the  gossiping  friends  of  the  family  she  faithftdly  recounted 
to  Lucie,  and  the  friends  congratulated  themselves  that  no 
attempt  had  been  made  by  Frau  von  Sorr  to  leave  M . 

Ad^le  had  written  immediately  to  Frau  von  Adelung,  tell* 
«« 


'  ">'>tsr-m 


154  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

ing  hei  that  one  of  her  dearest  friends,  a  Friiulein  Anna 
Miiller,  was  very  desirous  to  procure  a  situation  in  the  coun- 
try as  governess.  She  expatiated  upon  the  talents,  acrjuire- 
ments,  and  culture  of  the  young  lady,  who  regretted  that, 
never  having  dreamed  of  being  obliged  to  support  herself, 
she  possessed  no  testimonials  to  her  ability.  Now,  how- 
ever, she  was  in  great  distress ;  her  father  had  died  broken- 
hearted at  the  loss  of  his  large  fortune,  and  Friiulein  Miiller 
had  been  very  unfortunate  also  in  other  ways,  so  that  she 
craved  retirement  from  the  world,  and  would  prefer  a  situa- 
tion in  the  solitude  of  the  country. 

An  answer  io  this  letter  arrived  by  return  of  mail.  Frau 
von  Adelung  expressed  her  pleasure  at  being  able  to  do  any- 
thing for  her  dear  Ad^le,  whose  friendship  for  Friiulein  Miiller 
was  a  sufficient  recommendation  in  her  eyes.  At  present  she 
knew  of  no  situation  for  her,  although  there  was  no  doubt 
that  one  could  shortly  be  found,  and  she  promised  to  write 
again  as  soon  as  this  was  the  case. 

More  than  a  week  elapsed  before  Frau  von  Adelung  was 
again  heard  from.  Lucie  continued  to  live  in  her  concealment 
in  her  friend's  room,  hearing  from  her  all  that  was  going  on 

in  M .     Count  Repuin  and  Sorr  had  both  suddenly  left 

town,  the  latter  deeply  in  debt.  Whither  they  had  gone  no 
one  knew.  Count  Repuin  had  left  orders  that  his  letters 
should  be  sent  to  Berlin  posts  restante. 

At  last,  when  Lucie  was  beginning  to  chafe  under  her 
enforced  idleness,  a  second  letter  arrived  from  Frau  von 
Adelung,  asking  whether  Friiulein  Miiller  would  be  willing 
to  accept  the  position  of  governess  to  the  Baroness  Cecilia 
von  Hohenwald,  or  rather,  as  the  young  lady  was  sixteen 
years  old,  that  of  companion  and  teacher.  Lucie  and  Ad^le 
were  greatly  surprised  by  this  letter ;  they  well  remem- 
bered the  description  given  by  Count  Styrum  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  ball"  of  the  secluded  life  at  Castle  Hohenwald, 


W-^J7fRr'¥ir.S^»^,:>    ;      '    '^trt.      ■•".■■>:-!-•:•  -=*^ — ••■  7-.-.:'^-;''-'?:J*J^'i       ■-   .^•':-*.    -  -        - ''T^.    -r^^sr,. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  155 

and  this  remembrance  decided  Lucie  at  once  to  accept  the 
oflFered  position.  In  the  solitude  of  Castle  HohenwaJd,  where 
Ao  guest  ever  found  admission,  surely  she  might  look  for  the 
seclusion  she  so  earnestly  desired. 

In  a  short  time  a  third  letter  was  received  from  Frau  von 
Adelung,  enclosing  the  one  addressed  to  Fraulein  Mullet  by 
the  Finanzrath,  of  which  we  have  already  heard.  His  dreary 
picture  of  the  castle  and  its  inmates,  far  from  deterring  Lucie 
from  accepting  the  post  offered  her  there,  only  made  her  the 
more  desirous  to  accept  it,  and  she  acceded  instantly  to  the 
Finanzrath's  request  that  she  would,  if  she  could,  return  a 
favourable  reply  and  inform  him  of  the  day  of  her  arrival 
at  the  station  A . 

Thus  the  die  was  cast.  Two  days  more  were  all  that  she 
could  spend  with  the  dear  friend  who  had  so  aided  and  shel- 
tered her.  AdMe  now  wished  to  intrust  Lucie's  secret  to  her 
cousin,  that  he  might  write  and  insure  her  a  friendly  recep- 
tion at  Castle  Hohenwald,  but  this  Lucie  permitted  her  to  do 
only  upon  condition  that  she  should  wait  until  she  had  actu- 
ally departed  from  M before  she  spoke  to  Count  Styrum 

upon  the  subject. 

The  day  of  departure  arrived, — an  agitating  day  for  Lade. 
Hitherto  Lina's  fidelity  and  caution  had  made  concealment 
possible ;  not  one  of  the  household  even  dreamed  that  the 
vanished  Frau  von  Sorr  was  quietly  living  in  Ad^le's  apart- 
ments ;  but  how  could  she  steal  away  unobserved  ? 

The  gossiping  Assessor  had  reported  that  Count  Repuin 
had  bribed  all  the  railroad  officials,  who  were  to  give  him  im- 
mediate notice  of  the  appearance  at  any  one  of  the  M 

stations  of  the  well-known  Frau  von  Son*.  The  police  also 
were  in  his  pay,  and  it  seemed  to  Lucie  almost  impossible  to 
leave  the  President's  house  without  discovery. 

Here,  too,  the  faithful  Lina  rendered  most  efficient  aid. 
She  had  come  to  seek  service  in  M years  before  from  an 


156  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Altenburg  village,  and  the  ugly  national  dress  of  the  Alte> 
burg  peasantry,  although  long  since  discarded  by  her.  wa 
still  reposing  neatly  folded  in  her  trunk.  She  was  aboal 
Lucie's  height,  and,  with  a  few  alterations,  the  peasant's  dresa 
was  made  to  fit  the  lady  perfectly,  so  that  when,  one  morning 
towards  four  o'clock,  a  neatly-dressed  Altenburg  peasant-girl 
walked  out  from  the  President's  garden  into  the  side  street, 
the  most  experienced  detective  would  hardly  have  suspected 
her  of  being  the  admired  Frau  von  Sorr. 

At  the  Marble  Gate  Lina  was  awaiting  her  in  a  covered 
wagon,  driven  by  one  of  her  cousins,  an  Altenburg  peasant 
lad,  whom  she  had  sent  for  to  take  her  to  her  native  village, 
where  she  had  received  permission  from  her  master  to  spend 
a  week's  holiday.  The  peasant  lad  was  rather  surprised  that 
his  cousin  Lina  should  have  stopped  him,  when  they  had 
driven  no  farther  than  the  Marble  Grate,  to  wait  for  a  young 
girl,  who  shortly  arrived  and  got  into  the  vehicle.  Still 
greawjr  was  his  surprise  when,  at  a  little  wayside  inn  some 

miles  from  M ,  Lina  made  him  wait  much  longer,  while 

she  went  into  the  house  with  the  young  girl,  who  must  have 
remained  there,  for  when  Lina  got  into  the  wagon  again  it  waa 
in  company  with  a  very  fine  lady,  who  paid  him  for  driving 
her  to  the  nearest  railroad  station,  where  she  took  a  kind  leave 
of  his  cousin. 

Once  in  the  railway  carriage  bound  for  A Lucie  had  no 

farther  fear  of  discovery,  and  we  have  already  heard  of  her  safe 
arrival  there,  and  of  her  adventurous  drive  with  the  Finanzrath. 

How  diflFerent  her  reception  at  the  castle  had  been  from 
any  she  had  anticipated  !  She  had  looked  forward  with  a 
heavy  heart  to  meeting  the  old  Baron ;  but  he  had  welcomed 
her  so  kindly,  so  cordially,  that  she  felt  sure  that  in  him  she 
should  find  a  friend. 

But  Arno  ?  Even  if  Count  Styrum  had  written  to  him  be- 
seeching his  kind  offices  for  the  new  governess,  this  morning 


. '.^w*V'y"T^r  ?«K^^s?Si*^- ■    '.' ■  ■     *  -.  '  ■ -:  ,f.-r--.7  s^T|^\v^igr^"5^i«;p--.cf-    ;   :^'' :- r     ■    "^-'-?f^**'!lHWB'iF- --'*:■   "   '  '  vyv^sT'SjE'^^.^fT^^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  Wl 

alter  his  visit  at  the  President's,  he  could  not  have  received 
the  letter ;  his  conduct  had  been  characterized  only  by  the 
coldest  courtesy.  Still,  she  was  prepared  for  this  ;  she  knew 
his  sentiments  with  regard  to  women.  He  had  behaved  pre- 
cisely as  she  had  expected  him  to  do,  and  his  manner  was  cer- 
tainly far  preferable  to  the  Finanzrath's.  As  she  called  him  to 
mind  a  burning  blush  overspread  her  cheek,  and  she  leaned 
her  forehead  against  the  cool  glass  window-pane.  She  could 
not  tell  what  it  was  in  his  behaviour  to  her  that  so  aroused  her 
repugnance.  He  had  been  all  that  he  should  be,  and  no  more, 
and  yet  his  courtesy  inspired  her  with  dread  ;  this  man  was 
antipathetic  to  her.  But  why  trouble  herself  about  him  in 
any  way?  He  was  but  a  guest  at  the  castle,  where  every- 
thing seemed  so  much  more  encouraging  than  she  had  hoped 
to  find  it ;  he  would  be  gone  in  a  few  days,  and  Celia,  thig 
charming,  lovely  Celia,  who  had  evidently  conceived  a  sudden 
affection  for  her  new  companion,  would  still  be  with  her. 
How  entirely  unnecessary  had  been  Lucie's  fear  of  the  "  way- 
ward, spoiled  child' ' !  Celia  could  not  feign ;  in  her  clear,  honest 
eyes  the  genuine  welcome  she  had  given  to  her  new  governess 
was  plainly  to  be  read.  How  happy  she  had  seemed  upon 
noting  the  pleasant  impression  produced  by  the  pretty  and 
luxurious  bedroom  and  dressing-room  to  which  she  had  shown 
Lucie  I  How  cordially  she  as  well  as  Frau  Kaselitz  had  begged 
to  know  if  anything  were  wanting  for  the  comfort  of  the  new 
inmate !  and  how  caressing  had  been  the  kiss  with  which  she 
had  said  good-night ! 

Yes,  everything  was  far,  far  more  pleasant  than  Lucie  had 
expected ;  surely  she  could  find  repose  and  foi^tfulness  amid 
these  surroimdings,  and  in  the  Mfilment  of  a  duty  so  in- 
teresting as  the  instruction  of  this  sweet  young  girl ;  and  yet 
she  could  not  look  forward  into  the  future  with  any  degree 
of  buoyancy ;  the  driving  rain,  the  dark  night,  the  moaning 
wind,  seemed  to  her  to  symbolize  her  destiny. 

14 


.    *    -f-^   .  :^--^r  •'■  Z^l" 


158  CASTLE  HOHENWALr 


CHAPTER   IX. 

The  tempest  had  spent  its  fury  in  the  night,  and  the  snn 
shone  warm  and  bright  into  Lucie's  bedroom  when  she 
awaked  at  a  rather  late  hour  the  next  morning.  She  was 
habitually  an  early  riser,  but  the  fatigue  of  the  previous  day 
and  evening  had  prevented  her  from  sleeping  until  towards 
morning,  and  she  did  not  awake  until  eight  o'clock  from  her 
dreamless  and  refreshing  slumber.  She  gazed  around  her 
in  some  bewilderment,  and  could  not  at  first  remember  where 
she  was ;  but  in  an  instant  all  the  past,  her  parting  from  her 
dear  Ad^le,  her  journey  hither,  and  last  night's  adventures, 
flashed  upon  her  mind,  and  brought  with  them  the  conscious- 
ness that  she  was  actually  in  Castle  Hohenwald.  If  her  room 
had  looked  pretty  and  comfortable  by  candle-light  on  the 
previous  evening,  it  was  positively  charming  now,  with  a 
bunch  of  fresh  spring  flowers,  which  she  had  not  seen  the 
night  before,  upon  a  little  table  between  the  windows,  and  the 
sunlight  glorifying  the  landscape  without.  Lucie  hastily  left 
her  bed,  and  was  proceeding  to  dress,  when  there  came  a  low 
knock  at  her  door.     "  Who  is  there?"  she  asked. 

"  I, — Celia.  I  waited  until  I  heard  you  stirring,  to  tell 
you  that  your  trunk  has  been  brought  over  from  Griin- 
hagen,  and  is  here  in  the  next  room — our  morning  room — 
with  your  dry  dress  from  the  Inspector's.  I  will  come  to  take 
you  to  breakfast  in  half  an  hour." 

When  Lucie  opened  the  door  into  the  next  room  Celia  had 
vanished,  but  her  trunk  stood  near,  and  her  travelling-dress, 
brushed  and  dry,  hung  across  a  chair.  She  made  haste  to 
perform  her  simple  toilet,  and  then  went  again  into  the 
apartment  which  Celia  had  called  "  our  morning  room."    This 


:  j.jTj-.ijr^sr,-'-.    i^y''?!«  .   ■  sjswsv^**-*?""" 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  159 

room,  then,  she  was  to  share  with  her  pupil.  It  was  a  delight* 
fill  and  luxurious  retreat ;  its  windows  opening  upon  an  en- 
chanting prospect  of  the  garden,  the  mighty  oaks  in  the  park, 
and  the  distant  mountains ;  near  one  window  was  a  table,  upon 
which  lay  a  half-finished  piece  of  embroidery,  while  another 
table,  evidently  new,  and  prettily  furnished  with  writing 
materials,  was  plainly  destined  for  the  new  governess.  Upon 
it  was  a  small  vase  filled  with  flowers  evidently  plucked  but 
an  hour  ago,  the  dew  not  yet  dry  upon  the  petals  of  the 
roses.  Flowers !  So  little,  and  yet  so  much !  They  made  a 
welcome  where  they  stood.  Lucie  bent  over  them  to  inhale 
their  cool  fitigrance,  and  when  she  raised  her  head  looked 
into  Celia's  laughing  eyes.  "  How  can  I  thank  you  for 
placing  these  here,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald?"  she  said,  with 
emotion. 

"  By  never  again  calling  me  Fraulein,  but  Celia.  Every 
one  who  cares  for  me  calls  me  Celia,  and  I  want  you  to  care 
for  me  very  much." 

Such  a  request,  accompanied  as  it  was  by  a  kiss  and  a 
caress,  could  not  be  refused.  The  girl's  frank  tenderness  was 
inexpressibly  soothing  to  Lucie. 

"  And  now  come  with  me  to  the  garden-room,"  Celia  went 
en,  putting  Lucie's  hand  within  her  arm.  "  Papa  is  waiting 
for  us ;  he  drank  his  morning  cup  of  coffee  long  ago,  but  he 
wants  us  to  take  our  breakfast  in  the  garden-room  all  the 
same." 

The  Freiherr  had  indeed  been  awaiting  the  appearance  of 
the  ladies  to  breakfast  in  the  garden-room  for  more  than  an 
hour.  Seated  in  his  rolling-chair  in  his  favourite  spot,  he 
was  rejoicing  in  the  beauty  of  the  lovely  morning  and  inhaling 
the  mild  air  of  spring,  while,  as  he  sipped  his  coffee,  he 
received  his  morning  visit  from  his  son. 

Arno  seated  himself  beside  his  father's  chair  and  b^an,  as 
was  his  wont  in  the  early  hour  of  talk,  to  discuss  mattem 


.    "J.t.^^3H^?B!P 


160  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

connected  with  the  estate,  agricultural  schemes,  etc.,  which 
did  not,  however,  appear  to  have  the  power  to  interest  him  to- 
day as  deeply  as  usual.  It  almost  seemed  as  if  he  were  think- 
ing of  other  things  as  he  expatiated  upon  the  new  ploughs 
and  the  building  of  fresh  stables.  He  now  and  then  paused 
in  his  talk,  and  seemed  to  lose  the  thread  of  his  discourse. 
The  case  seemed  the  same  with  the  Freiherr.  He  could  think 
of  nothing  but  what  had  already  occupied  his  mind  since  he 
arose,- -the  pleasant  talk  of  the  previous  evening.  For  years 
he  had  not  conversed  with  a  lady.  Celia,  Frau  Kaselitz,  and 
the  servant-maids  were  the  only  women  with  whom  he  ever 
exchanged  a  word.  His  conversation  with  the  governess  had 
therefore  the  added  charm  of  novelty,  and  he  had  greatly 
enjoyed  it. 

Celia's  appearance  to  wish  her  father  good-morning  inter- 
rupted, to  the  Baron's  satisfaction,  the  agricultural  discus- 
sion, and  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  ask  after  Fraulein 
Miiller.  Celia  announced  that  she  had  listened  several  times 
at  the  door  of  her  bedroom,  but  that  she  was  not  yet  stir- 
rinjx. 

"  Evidently  accustomed  to  late  hours,"  Amo  observed. 

His  words  sounded  like  sarcasm,  and  instantly  aroused 
Celia's  combativeness.  "  Do  you  suppose,"  she  said,  indig- 
nantly, "  that  a  delicately-framed  woman,  not  used  like  you  to 
hunting  all  night  long,  can  endure  without  fatigue  such  a  walk 
through  tiic  storm  as  Friiulein  Miiller  took  last  e\3ning? 
It  was  almost  three  o'clock  when  we  went  to  bed,  and  it  is  now 
just  seven.  Four  hours'  sleep  is  not  much  after  such  latigue, 
although  you  may  think  it  suf&cient  for  yourself.  Besides, 
you  are  used  to  such  early  rising  that  you  should  not  judge 
for  others." 

"Don't  quarrel,  children,"  the  old  Freiherr  interposed; 
"  altbouph  Ndu  are  quite  right,  child,  to  take  up  the  cudgels 
for  your  governess ;  she  certainly  has  well  earned  a  few  hours 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  161 

of  sleep.     Even  you,  Amo,  expressed  your  wonder  last  even- 
ing at  her  quiet  endurance  of  so  much  fatigue." 

"  Yes,  papa ;  is  it  not  odious  of  Amo  to  be  so  unjust  tc 
Fraulein  Miiller.  when  she  is  so  charming,  so  divinely  beau- 
tiful, and  so  amiable  ?" 

"  The  child  is  all  fire  and  flame  !"  Amo  remarked.  "  Well, 
well,  it  is  nothing  to  me ;  believe  that  your  governess  is  an 
angel  of  light  and  a  miracle  of  amiability  if  you  choose,  only 
do  not  require  me  to  agree  with  you.  Your  enthusiasm 
lightens  the  duty  with  which  my  friend  Styrum  has  charged 
me.  I  found  a  letter  from  him  among  my  papers  last  night 
announcing  his  betrothal  to  his  cousin,  Adele  von  Gruntram, 
and  telling  me  that  Fraulein  Miiller  is  his  betrothed's  most 
intimate  friend.  Here  is  his  letter ;  read  aloud  to  my  father 
what  he  says  of  Fraulein  Mtiller,  Celia,  if  you  like." 

This  Celia  did  most  willingly.  As  she  returned  it  to  Amo 
she  said  reproachfdlly  to  her  brother,  "  You  do  not  deserve 
the  confidence,  Amo,  that  Count  Styrum  reposes  in  your 
friendship.  I  cannot  conceive  how  you  can  judge  Fraulein 
Miiller  so  harshly  and  unjustly  after  such  a  recommendation 
from  your  dearest  friend." 

"  Bah !  his  recommendation  is  utterly  worthless  ;  he  sees 
with  the  fair  AdMe's  eyes,  and  would  recommend  the  devil's 
grandmother  to  us  if  his  betrothed  desired  it.  What  I  did 
promise  him  was  that  the  lady  shall  be  annoyed  by  no  inqui- 
ries or  allusions  to  her  past.  In  this  respect  Karl's  word  is 
all-sufficient,  for  not  even  the  entreaties  of  his  betrothed  could 
induce  him  to  vouch  for  Fraulein  Milller's  purity  of  character 
if  the  slightest  blame  attached  to  her.  I  know  my  promise 
will  be  kept  by  all." 

"  Most  certainly  it  shall,"  the  old  Freiherr  rejoined.    "  Sty- 
rum's  word  is  quite  enough  for  me ;  he  is  a  man  of  honoui, 
as  was  his  father,  once  my  intimate  friend.     I  respect  the 
young  fellow,  although  I  do  not  know  him  personally.     You 
L  14* 


162  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

remember,  Arno,  how  well  he  conducted  himself  upon  a 
former  occasion,  with  what  tact  and  delicacy " 

"  Let  the  past  be  forgotten,  father  !"  Amo  interrupted  him  ; 
and,  turning  to  his  sister,  he  added,  "  I  hope  you  will  be  dis- 
creet, Celia,  and  not  ask  any  idle  questions  of  Frauleii? 
Muller." 

"  I  am  not  curious,  and  I  certainly  will  be  carefiil,"  Celia 
replied,  as  she  left  the  room. 

The  Freiherr  called  after  her,  "  Beg  Friiulein  Miiller,  if 
she  is  up,  to  take  her  breakfast  here  in  the  garden-room.  I 
am  expecting  her." 

It  was  not  long  before  his  darling  reappeared  with  the  gov- 
erness, whose  cheerftil  good-moming  the  old  man  returned 
after  his  most  genial  fashion.  Then,  ringing  the  bell,  he  de- 
sired Franz  to  have  Fraulein  Miiller's  breakfast  served  imme- 
diately, and  to  roll  his  chair  nearer  to  the  table  that  he  might 
take  part  in  the  conversation. 

This  he  found  exceedingly  entertaining.  Whatever  waa 
the  subject  under  discussion  Fraulein  Miiller  bore  her  part 
charmingly.  The  Baron  found  her  possessed  of  a  far  higher 
degree  of  culture  than  he  had  thought  possible  in  a  woman, 
and  he  was  specially  pleased  to  find  her  at  home  in  his 
beloved  classical  literature. 

When  the  meal  was  ended  she  seated  herself,  at  his  re- 
quest, at  the  fine  grand  piano,  which  had  been  his  last  gift 
to  Celia,  and,  after  a  lovely  prelude,  sang  a  little  national 
melody,  in  a  rich,  deep  contralto,  with  such  pathos  that  Celia 
embraced  her  enthusiastically  with  eyes  swimming  in  tears, 
and  the  old  Freiherr  was  inexpressibly  delighted.  It  certainly 
was  a  fact  that  Werner  had  found  a  treasure ;  his  advice, 
after  all,  had  been  worthy  of  all  gratitude.  The  old  man 
was  in  an  admirable  humour,  as  was  plainly  shown  when  hia 
Bons  unexpectedly  entered  the  room  together.  He  had  in- 
tended on  the  previous  evening  to  greet  the  elder  upon  hia 


^P^fP^Pf?^??^  ^^^^^-''^^'^'^W^^-'  :■'        '  ^^fWJ'^V^^^W'^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  163 

return  from  Griinhagen  with  a  thunder-blast ;  but  he  was  now 
half  inclined  to  condone  his  transgression  of  the  family  tra- 
ditions. "  Why,  here  we  have  the  Herr  Finanzrath,"  ho 
said,  as  Werner  approached  him.  "  Have  you  had  a  com- 
fortable night  at  Griinhagen  with  the  Posenecks?  I  am 
pleased  to  see  that  your  broken  leg  is  mended  again.  1 
certainly  should  not  imagine  from  your  walk  that  anything 
had  ailed  it." 

Werner  had  expected  a  much  harsher  reception,  therefore 
he  quietly  accepted  the  raillery.  "  It  was  not  so  very  bad," 
he  replied,  with  a  smile,  "  although  it  certainly  pained  me  so 
much  last  evening  that  I  could  not  have  undertaken  the  long 
walk  to  the  village." 

"  Which  Fraulein  Miiller  courageously  accomplished,  in 
spite  of  her  evident  fatigue,"  Amo  interposed. 

"  I  admire  Fraulein  Miiller's  courage,"  the  Finanzrath 
continued,  with  a  courteous  bow  to  Lucie  ;  "  but  she  would 
hardly  have  been  able  to  walk  so  far  had  her  injury  been  of 
the  foot  instead  of  the  temple.  I  positively  could  not,  and, 
as  Herr  von  Poseneck  was  polite  enough  to  invite  me  to 
Griinhagen,  I  saw  no  reason  for  declining  his  kindness;  it 
might  have  offended  him." 

"  So  you  preferred  to  offend  your  father  by  accepting  it," 
the  old  Baron  said,  angrily,  his  good  humour  already  dii». 
turbed  by  Werner's  words. 

"  I  knew  of  no  reasonable  grounds  why  you  should  be 
offended  by  my  doing  so.  Young  Herr  von  Poseneck,  who  has 
only  lately  come  to  reside  at  Griinhagen,  has  certainly  never 
insulted  you,  nor  had  any  desire  to  insult  you.  He  assured 
me  that  he  had  the  highest  respect  for  you,  and  that  only 
your  express  refusal  to  receive  visits  at  Hohenwald  had  pre- 
vented him  from  paying  his  respects  to  you."' 

"  Let  him  try  it !  let  him  try  it !"  the  old  Baron  said 
crossly. 


:.''  :    r  is^ssw? 


164  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  I  hope,  father,  that  calm  reflection  will  induce  you  to 
change  your  mind,"  the  Finanzrath  quietly  rejoined.  "  I  can 
assure  you  that  young  Kurt  von  Posencck  in  no  wise  deserves 
the  dislike  which  you  have  transferred  to  him  from  his  late 
father,  and  that  he  really  desires  to  testify  his  respect  for  you. 
I  cannot  sufficiently  extol  the  cordial  hospitality  extended  to 
me  at  Griinhagen,  and  which  can  be  ascribed  only  to  the  fact 
of  my  being  your  son." 

"  Nonsense  !"  growled  the  Freiherr. 

"  The  Amtsrath  Friese,  as  well  as  Herr  Kurt  von  Poseneck, 
repeatedly  expressed  his  pleasure  in  being  able  to  render  any 
little  service  to  a  Hohenwald.  Both  lamented  your  seclusion, 
and  wished  they  might  convince  you  of  their  friendly  regard. 
Both  treated  me  with  distinguished  hospitality,  for  which  I 
am  greatly  obliged  to  them.  Herr  von  Poseneck,  after  he 
had  conducted  me  to  Griinhagen,  went  back  with  horses  and 
men  to  the  quarry  to  extricate  the  carriage  and  horses  and 
get  them  under  shelter ;  he  sent  over  Fraulein  MixUer's 
trunk  at  daybreak  this  morning,  and  when  I  expressed  a 
wish  to  return  home,  the  Amtsrath  placed  his  own  carriage 
at  my  disposal.  Common  courtesy  requires  that  I  should 
drive  to  Griinhagen  to-morrow  to  call,  and  to  tell  Herr  Kurt 
von  Poseneck  that  he  will  gratify  me  by  visiting  me  in  return 
at  Hohenwald." 

Celia's  eyes  sparkled  as  she  heard  the  Finanzrath  thus 
announce  his  intentions,  but  her  joy  quickly  fled  as  she 
looked  at  her  father,  upon  whose  forehead  the  frown  had 
deepened  as  Werner  spoke,  and  whose  rage  now  burst  forth 
with,  *'  I'll  have  the  dogs  set  on  him  if  he  dares  to  enter  the 
court-yard !  No  Poseneck  shall  show  his  face  in  Hohenwald 
so  long  as  I  am  master  here  ! ' 

"  Papa,  that  is  very  disagreeable  of  you,"  Celia  ventured  to 
gay ;  "  you  do  yourself  great  injustice !" 

"  Is   the  girl  out  of  her   senses  ?"    the  Freiherr  asked, 


"■fSS^spp^fS;????'  ..r.ir.-^»-  '^"ir  "Hpffi"     ;-  '.    ^*  ■■E'*\t»''wTr'^JpK5 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  165 

angrily.     "  What  are  the  Posenecks  to  you,  that  you  should 
defend  them  against  your  own  father?" 

Celia  flushed  t;rimson ;  she  could  not  answer  this  question. 

Fortunately,  Werner  came  to  her  assistance,  saying,  "  Celia's 
words,  although  they  are  perhaps  to  be  reprehended,  are 
prompted  by  her  innate  sense  of  justice.  She  could  not  help 
exclaiming  against  your  threat  of  requiting  the  courtesy  of  a 
visit  by  setting  the  dogs  on  the  visitor.  I  think,  upon  calmer 
consideration,  you  will  find  her  conduct  but  natural.  I  am 
very  sorry,  sir,  that  I  should  so  have  provoked  you,  and  will 
try  to  avoid  doing  so  again.  Of  course  I  am  not  to  be  de- 
terred by  the  unfortunate  prejudice  entertained  by  you  against 
the  Posenecks  from  fulfilling  the  duty  enjoined  upon  me  by 
common  politeness.  I  must  call  at  Grrtinhagen,  but  I  will 
not  invite  Herr  von  Poseneck  to  Hohenwald.  I  will  convey 
to  him  your  thanks,  and  tell  him  you  regret  your  inability 
to  receive  him  at  Hohenwald,  since  your  health  does  not  admit 
of  your  receiving  visitors." 

"  Then  you  will  tell  him  a  lie ;  my  health  admits  of  my 
receiving  any  visitors  whom  I  care  to  see." 

"  I  think  my  conscience  can  endure  the  weight  of  a  lie  of 
that  kind,"  the  Finanzrath  rejoined,  with  a  smile. 

"Do  as  you  please,  but  let  me  hear  no  more  of  the 
Posenecks !"  growled  the  old  Baron.  His  relations  with  his 
eldest  son  were  peculiar ;  he  constantly  disputed  with  him, 
but  in  spite  of  his  father's  angry  vehemence  Werner  usually 
gained  his  end,  because  he  never  lost  his  temper.  The  old 
Baron  felt  now  that  he  had  been  wrong,  and,  although  he  did 
not  frankly  admit  this,  he  yielded. 

Werner  seemed  not  to  notice  this ;  he  was  too  wise  to  insist 
upon  his  father's  acknowledging  himself  in  error.  To  change 
the  conversation  he  turned  to  Lucie,  who,  still  seated  at  the 
piano,  had  been  an  involuntary  listener  to  the  dispute  between 
father  and  son.     Approaching  her,  the  Finanzrath  took  her 


'»«;;-5f^ 


166  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

hand,  and  saying,  with  the  air  of  protection  which  had  so 
annoyed  her  on  the  previous  evening,  "  Permit  me,  dear  Frau- 
lein  IMiiller,  to  bid  you  cordially  welcome  to  Castle  Hohen- 
wald,"  would  have  carried  it  to  his  lips  had  she  not  hastily 
withdrawn  it. 

Why  she  did  so  she  could  not  herself  have  told.  She  had 
frequently  allowed  her  hand  to  be  kissed  by  way  of  greeting ; 
it  was  a  received  custom  in  the  society  to  which  she  had  be- 
longed, and  yet  she  could  not  endure  that  this  man  should 
avail  himself  of  it ;  it  seemed  to  her  an  unbecoming  familiarity 
on  his  part.  She  acted  upon  an  impulse,  and  she  did  not 
observe  the  fleeting  smile  that  passed  over  Arno's  face  as  he 
noticed  the  intentional  withdrawal  of  her  hand.  She  replied 
to  the  Finanzrath's  courtesy  by  a  simple  inclination  of  her 
head. 

Celia,  too,  had  seen  that  Werner's  salutation  was  not 
received  with  favour,  and  with  ready  tact  came  to  her  new. 
friend's  aid.  "  You  must  reserve  all  your  fine  speeches  for 
another  time,  Werner,"  she  said,  stepping  to  Lucie's  side ; 
"  Friiulein  Miiller  belongs  entirely  to  me  to-day.  I  am  burn- 
ing with  desire  to  take  my  first  lessons  of  her,  to  show  her 
what  a  good  scholar  I  can  be." 

Lucie's  grateful  glance  as  she  arose  and  followed  Celia  from 
the  room  showed  the  young  girl  that  she  had  done  right. 

From  this  time  Celia  devoted  herself  to  her  studies  with 
ardour.  Lucie's  hardest  task  was  to  induce  her  to  moderate 
her  zeal.  The  "  will-o'-the-wisp"  quite  forgot  its  errant 
nature ;  for  hours  the  girl  would  sit  at  the  piano  practising 
wearisome  exercises,  and  at  other  times  she  would  bury  her- 
self in  a  book, — an  entirely  new  experience  for  Celia.  It 
needed  but  a  few  weeks  of  intercourse  with  her  new  friend  to 
arouse  within  her  a  genuine  literary  taste.  The  old  Baron 
and  Arno  were  astounded  at  the  change ;  the  former  feared 
that  his  darling,  whom  he  saw  thus  tamed,  might  perhaps 


^^■^!^m^    -  '  "^  ■.  ■>' fir^paKlp:, 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  167 

become  too  tame ;  he  shook  his  head  as  he  reminded  Celia 
that  she  must  not  study  too  hard,  lest  her  health  should 
suflFer ;  she  ought  to  continue  to  take  her  daily  exercise  in 
the  opeu  air. 

To  such  admonitions  the  girl  was  not  at  all  deaf.  True, 
she  no  longer  roamed  about  the  garden  as  she  had  done  :  it 
took  too  much  time ;  she  confined  herself  to  a  morning's  walk 
there  with  Fraulein  Miiller  to  visit  the  green-houses  and  the 
shrubberies ;  but  her  afternoon  ride  was  never  omitted.  When 
the  hour  for  this  arrived  she  could  no  longer  fix  her  attention 
upon  her  book :  her  thoughts  flew  forth  to  the  forest.  Fraulein 
Miiller  smiled  at  her  enthusiasm  for  her  daily  ride,  ascribing 
it  in  great  part  to  the  force  of  habit,  since  no  weather  waa 
too  stormy  to  keep  her  at  home. 

Celia  always  rode  alone.  Formerly,  old  John  had  some- 
times accompanied  her,  but,  although  he  soon  recovered  from 
the  eflFecta  of  his  fall,  his  young  mistress  never  now  desired 
his  attendance.  She  could  not  so  easily  have  declined  Lucie's 
companionship,  but  Fraulein  Miiller  had  never  been  a  horse- 
woman, and  did  not  care  to  learn  to  ride. 

Thus,  then,  Celia  rode  alone.  A  happy  smile  illumined 
her  features  and  her  dark  eyes  sparkled  as  she  daily  cau^t 
the  first  glimpse  of  the  light  straw  hat  among  the  trees,  and 
found  Kurt  at  the  appointed  place  in  the  forest  waiting  to 
walk  along  the  woodland  road  by  her  side.  Then  the  girl 
would  drop  the  bridle  on  her  horse's  neck,  and  Pluto,  who 
was  now  on  the  best  of  terms  with  Kurt,  knew  perfectly  well 
that  before  he  was  urged  to  greater  speed  than  a  leisurely  wulk 
an  hour  would  elapse.  An  hour !  How  quickly  it  flew  by 
how  much  had  both  Celia  and  Kurt  to  say  in  that  brief  space 
of  time !  Celia  told  of  her  studies,  of  the  delightftil  hours 
she  now  owed  to  her  friend  Anna,  whose  beauty  and  loveli- 
ness, clearness  of  head  and  goodness  of  heart,  she  described  in 
■uch  glowing  terms  that  Kurt  could  not  at  times  suppress  a 


~^iiy»P",sgp^ 


168  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

smile,  for  which  Celia  would  instantly  reprove  him  as  implying 
a  doubt  of  the  accuracy  of  her  descriptions. 

Kurt,  on  the  other  hand,  would  tell  of  his  life  at  Griin- 
hagen :  how  he  was  becoming  more  at  home  in  Germany,  how 
his  uncle's  hospitality  and  social  qualities  made  his  house  de- 
lightful, a  resort  for  the  country  gentry  and  for  the  principal 

people  in  the  neighbouring  town  of  A .     He  often  spoke 

also  of  the  Finanzrath,  who  was  now  frequently  at  Griin- 
hagen.  Kurt,  who  was  always  candid  and  unreserved  to- 
wards Celia,  admitted  to  her  that,  although  for  her  sake  he 
should  always  treat  her  brother  with  the  utmost  politeness, 
he  had  very  little  liking  for  the  exaggerated  polish  of  his 
manners  and  bearing. 

Thus  they  talked  in  the  most  innocent  manner.  At  part- 
ing Celia  always  ofiFered  her  hand  to  Kurt,  and  smilingly  per- 
mitted him  to  imprint  upon  it  an  ardent  kiss,  but  not  again 
did  she  bend  over  him  as  when  she  once  had  yielded  to  an 
irresistible  impulse.  If  he  had  uttered  one  tender  word  she 
would  hardly  have  reftised  him  a  second  kiss,  but  this  word 
was  not  spoken ;  he  withstood  with  manly  determination  the 
temptation  to  utter  it.  He  had  registered  a  vow  that  never 
should  this  innocent  girl  have  cause  to  regret  the  frank 
confidence  she  had  shown  him. 

Lucie  had  no  suspicion  of  the  attraction  that  took  Celia  to 
the  forest,  nor  that  the  simple-hearted  girl  could  have  a 
secret  from  her.  She  took  delight  in  her  charming  pupil's 
tender  aiTection  for  her,  which  indeed  she  reciprocated  with 
all  her  heart. 

The  old  Freiherr  had  greatly  changed  since  Lucie's  coming 
to  Castle  Hohenwald :  he  had  grown  social.  True,  hia 
sociability  was  confined  to  a  desire  for  the  society  of  his  im- 
mediate family  circle,  among  whom  he  reckoned,  of  course, 
Fraulein  Anna  Mtiller ;  but  with  them  he  developed  a  genia] 
courtesy  that  astonished  his  sons. 


-  ^«  •"■'jTi'  ^i^ff^-^^-i^nfi  ^-R^'  f^^is^  -  a—    ^  -  i^,  i?^*^?  ^^^s^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  169 

Amo,  on  the  other  hand,  preserved  the  same  attitude 
towards  his  sister's  governess  that  he  had  adopted  upon  her  first 
arrival  at  the  castle ;  he  was  conscious  of  an  involuntary  thrill 
of  delight  when,  in  the  course  of  conversation,  or  upon  an 
accidental  encounter  in  their  walks,  Fraulein  Miiller  bestowed 
upon  him  one  of  her  rare  sweet  smiles ;  but  the  next  moment 
he  would  rouse  himself  to  renewed  hatred  of  the  entire  sex, 
bethinking  himself  that  this  very  enchanting  smile  was  bit 
a  trap  set  by  overweening  love  of  admiration,  and  could  avail 
nothing  with  him.  And  yet  he  could  not  avoid  her.  When 
Lucie,  occupied  with  some  bit  of  feminine  work,  seated  her- 
self at  the  table  beside  the  Baron's  rolling-chair  and  talked 
pleasantly  with  the  old  man  and  Celia,  Amo  would  join  the 
circle,  placing  his  chair  where,  unobserved,  he  could  watch 
every  change  of  expression  on  the  lovely  face.  He  spoke 
but  little,  but  not  a  word  of  hers  escaped  him, — especially 
did  he  watch  and  listen  when,  as  was  but  rarely  the  case,  she 
appealed  to  Werner. 

Why  was  he  so  pleased  at  the  coldness  and  reserve  of  her 
usual  manner  towards  his  brother  ?  Why  should  he  be  so 
much  annoyed  when  one  day  Werner  announced  that  he  had 
just  received  a  favourable  reply  from  his  chief  in  office  to  his 
request  for  a  prolongation  of  his  leave  of  absence  ?  Where- 
fore should  Werner  have  seemed  to  him  absolutely  insuf- 
ferable since  he  had  taken  to  paying  such  marked  court  to 
Fraulein  Miiller  ? 

Amo  had  never  been  upon  terms  of  close  intimacy  with  his 
brother, — theirs  were  antagonistic  natures ;  but  now  he  felt  an 
absolute  repugnance  to  him  for  which  there  was  no  account- 
ing ;  surely  it  was  nothing  to  him  if  Werner  chose  to  pay 
court  to  Celia's  beautiful  governess. 

No ;  it  was  not  "  nothing  to  him."  He  excused  himself  for 
this  by  reflecting  that  Werner's  superficial,  frivolous  manner 
was  imworthy  a  Hohenwald.  What  views  could  he  enter- 
B  15 


-^r-^T^^^^mfW- 


170  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

tain  with  regard  to  Friiulein  Miiller?  Had  he  not  often 
declared  that  in  the  choice  of  a  wife  he  should  consult  his 
head,  and  not  his  heart  ?  Wealth  was  of  no  consequence  ; 
but  the  future  Freifrau  von  Hohenwald  must  belong  to  a 
family  through  whose  influence  the  Hohenwalds  might  re- 
cover the  importance  they  had  lost  with  the  government. 
Arno  thought  he  knew  well  that  Werner,  keenly  devoted  aa 
he  was  to  his  own  interests,  never  carried  away  by  sentiment, 
would  not  be  false  to  these  expressed  principles  of  his.  It 
was  inconceivable  that  he  should  sacrifice  his  ambition  to  love 
for  a  poor  bourgeoise  girl,  his  sister's  governess  !  He  could 
scarcely  cherish  honest  intentions  with  regard  to  her,  and 
Castle  Hohenwald  should  never  be  profaned  by  the  reverse  ! 
And  this  was  why,  as  Arno  tried  to  convince  himself,  he 
watched  Werner  and  Friiulein  Miiller  so  narrowly. 

Often  when  riding  alone  in  field  or  forest  it  would  suddenly 
occur  to  him  to  wonder  whether  Werner  were  at  the  moment 
talking  with  Friiulein  Anna  in  the  library,  or  walking  with  her 
in  the  garden.  Then  resistance  was  useless  ;  he  was  forced  to 
succumb  to  the  impulse  that  drove  him  to  plunge  the  spurs 
into  his  horse  and  gallop  furiously  to  the  castle,  where  his 
calm  was  restored  only  when  convinced  of  the  groundlessness 
of  his  alarm. 

Lucie  found  nothing  to  oflPend  or  displease  her  in  his  man- 
ner towards  her.  When  she  had  resolved,  in  defence  of  hei 
honour,  to  undertake  the  battle  of  life  under  a  maiden  name, 
she  had  not  been  unmindful  of  the  dangers  that  might  beset 
her  path,  and  she  had  gladly  accepted  the  position  oflfered 
her  at  Castle  Hohenwald,  since  she  knew  from  Count  Styrum 
and  Adele  that  there  she  should  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
obtrusive  admirers.  She  had  reckoned  upon  Arno's  hatred 
of  her  sex,  and  she  had  not  been  deceived.  From  her  first 
meeting  with  him  his  manner  had  been  not  only  indifferent, 
but  even  repellent.     It  was  what  she  had  hoped  for,  and  she 


•Vj""^^?*''^'^^^^^"''  ~  •*-"--- '-^'^.k' I — n»  "Sflf^ -»«^-«^ 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  171 

was  glad  of  it ;  but  her  gladness  was  not  heartfelt.  Count 
Styrum's  recital  of  his  misfortunes  had  awakened  Lucie's 
interest  in  the  misanthrope,  and  this  interest  had  grown  since 
she  had  known  him  personally.  His  coldness  and  reserve 
did  not  irritate  her ;  they  were  but  natural  after  the  terrible 
experience  that  life  had  brought  him.  He  had — how  could  it 
be  otherwise  ? — lost  all  faith  in  mankind ;  but  still  he  might 
have  shown  a  trifle  less  animosity  towards  her.  Sometimes 
a  severe  remark  of  his  would  bring  a  warm  flush  to  her  cheek, 
and  she  was  tempted  to  as  severe  a  retort ;  but  if  she  yielded 
to  the  temptation  she  always  reproached  herself  afterward. 
He  was  so  unhappy  !  What  a  blessed  task  it  would  be  to 
heal  the  wounds  from  which  he  was  still  bleeding !  But  such 
ministry  was  forbidden  in  her  sad  case. 

Here  was  a  dark  spot  in  Lucie's  otherwise  contented  life 
at  Castle  Hohenwald,  and  there  was  one  still  darker  in  the 
anxiety  she  felt  at  the  Finanzrath's  demeanour  towards  her. 
There  was  surely  no  sufficient  cause  for  this  anxiety,  for  the 
cultured  man  of  the  world  never  transcended  conventional 
bounds.  He  was  attentive  and  polite,  but  never  officious ; 
his  courtesy  and  kindness  never  degenerated  into  any  famil- 
iarity which  Lucie  could  be  justified  in  resenting.  When  he 
extolled  her  beauty  and  amiability,  her  delightftd  singing, 
her  admirable  instruction  of  Celia,  and  spoke  of  the  excellent 
influence  she  exerted  over  her  pupil,  it  was  all  done  after  so 
refined  a  fashion  that  she  could  not  take  exception  to  what 
was  said.  The  old  Freiherr  said  precisely  the  same  things, 
though  far  more  bluntly.  And  yet  Lucie  could  not  away 
with  a  feeling  of  uneasiness  with  which  the  Finanzrath's 
manner  always  inspired  her.  The  news  of  the  prolongation 
of  his  leave  of  absence  was  very  unwelcome  to  her ;  it  made 
her  really  unhappy. 


172  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 


CHAPTER    X. 

"  There  comes  Werner  again !"  Arno  said  to  his  father, 
when  an  extra  post  was  again  seen  approaching  Castle  Ho- 
henwald  ;  and  the  announcement  did  not  seem  particularly  to 
delight  the  old  Freiherr. 

The  Finanzrath  had  spent  a  few  days  in  Dresden  about  the 
end  of  May  in  arranging  for  another  prolongation  of  his  leave 
cf  absence.  He  had  been  successful,  and  upon  his  return  had 
remained  at  the  castle  only  a  few  days  when  a  letter  arrived 
for  him  from  Paris.  He  immediately  declared  that  he  must 
go  to  Berlin,  where  a  friend  whom  he  had  not  seen  for  a  long 
while  was  awaiting  him.  He  departed,  remaining  away  but 
a  few  days,  when  he  returned,  only  to  leave  again  after  two 
days,  this  time  to  see  an  old  college  friend  in  Hanover,  and 
to  take  a  trip  to  Cassel,  where  another  of  his  friends  resided. 
Even  after  this  journey  he  was  not  content  to  stay  quietly  at 
home.  He  had  scarcely  been  at  the  castle  for  a  week  when 
he  left  it  again  for  a  somewhat  longer  tour ;  he  wished  to  visit 
the  South  German  capitals,  Stuttgart  and  Munich,  passing 
several  days  in  Vienna,  and  returning  by  way  of  Dresden. 

The  Freiherr  received  Werner's  announcement  that  thif 
time  he  should  be  absent  two  weeks,  and  could  not  return  tc 
the  castle  before  the  beginning  of  July,  with  a  smile  of  satis- 
faction ;  he  was  not  at  all  displeased  that  his  eldest  son  should 
break  in  upon  his  prolonged  stay  at  Castle  Hohenwald  with 
these  frequent  journeys.  He  as  well  as  the  other  inmates 
of  the  castle  felt  relieved  when  the  carriage  with  the  Finanz- 
rath inside  rolled  out  of  the  court-yard. 

"  Werner  makes  the  atmosphere  dense  ;  he  kicks  up  a  dust 
wherever  he  goes,"  the  old  man  was  wont  to  say  in  excuse  of 


^^    '>SS^V  •-'Hif*'^!'^     ^'^  ,■     -r^-V',  '■■'■"   -V-  :-;^\?r  .-„     ;,-.■-.     -:■  .  -      ^^>. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  173 

his  evident  relief  at  his  son's  departure ;  and  was  it  there 
fore  to  be  wondered  at  that  he  greeted  with  a  sigh  Amo's 
exclamation,  "  There  comes  Werner  again !" 

Arno,  too,  frowned  when  old  Franz  announced  the  Herr 
Finanzrath's  arrival  a  few  moments  before  Werner  himself 
entered  the  garden-room. 

He  paid  his  respects  to  his  father  and  greeted  his  brother 
with  his  usual  quiet  courtesy,  in  which,  however,  there  was 
never  any  genuine  cordiality,  and  then  he  dropped  into  a  com- 
fortable seat  beside  the  old  Baron's  rolling-chair.  "  Home 
again  at  last !"  he  said.  "  I  travelled  all  night  to  reach  Ho- 
henwald  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  I  bring  news  of  vivid 
interest,  especially  for  you,  Arno.  Not  only  for  Amo,  how- 
ever, but  for  every  one  who  carries  a  good  Saxon  heart  in  his 
bosom.  To  arms,  Amo  !  It  is  time  that  you  girded  on  your 
sabre  again.  I  hope  you  will  write  to  the  king  this  very  day 
to  ask  for  your  appointment  to  your  former  military  rank,  for 
I  tell  you  beforehand  in  confidence  that  France  is  about  to 
humble  the  arrogance  of  Prussia,  and  I  need  not  say  what 
side  we  Saxons  should  take  in  the  fray ;  the  time  has  come 
to  revenge  ourselves  for  Koniggratz  and  Sadowa !" 

"  Are  you  mad,  Werner  ?"  burst  out  the  old  Freiherr,  who 
really  thought  that  his  son  had  taken  a  little  too  much  wine. 

"  I  mad?  Do  you  think  madness  or  the  love  of  change 
has  driven  me  away  upon  these  various  journeys  lately  ?"  the 
Finanzrath  exclaimed  in  his  turn.  ''  I  must  tear  the  veil 
from  your  eyes  and  rouse  you  from  your  fancied  security ; 
the  time  for  action  has  come, — a  time  that  calls  upon  you, 
Arno,  in  especial.  You  must  re-enter  the  army  immediately, 
for  it  is  eminently  advisable  that  the  number  of  right-minded 
Saxon  officers  should  be  as  large  as  possible,  that  Saxony  may 
not  fail  to  do  her  duty  at  the  right  moment.  There  is  a 
wide-spread  secret  alliance  in  process  of  formation  against 
Prussia.     War  will  immediately  ensue  upon  its  completion. 

16* 


174  CASTLE  ^OSENWALD. 

The  question  is  not  of  months,  perhaps  not  of  weeks,  but 
only  of  days,  for  every  preparation  is  concluded,  and  our 
action  must  be  prompt  and  sui'c." 

"  From  what  source  have  you  gathered  this  wondrous  infor- 
mation ?"  Arno  asked,  incredulously.  "  Since  when  have  you 
linked  yourself  with  those  who  decide  the  destiny  of  nations?" 

"  Spare  your  sarcasm,  Arno  !"  the  Freiherr  said,  crossly ; 
"  and  you,  Werner,  come  to  the  point.  I  should  like  to  know 
something  of  this  wonderful  mess  you  seem  to  have  been 
helping  to  cook." 

"  You  shall  be  informed,  father,  in  a  very  few  words  of 
the  present  condition  of  political  aflFairs."  Werner  began 
by  ascribing  the  quarrel  between  Prussia  and  France  to 
the  choice  of  a  Hohenzollern  prince  for  king  of  Spain,  and 
then  continued,  "  Napoleon  will  compel  William  to  choose 
between  a  humiliating  compliance,  that  will  deprive  him  of 
all  prestige,  and  war.  Now,  relying  upon  the  power  of  the 
North  German  alliance,  upon  the  military  treaty  with  the 
South  German  states  just  concluded,  upon  the  friendship  of 
the  Emperor  of  Russia,  and  upon  that  of  England,  Bis- 
marck, who  has  no  suspicion  of  the  secret  alliance  against 
Prussia,  to  which,  in  addition  to  the  dispossessed  princes, 
Austria,  Bavaria,  Wiirtemberg,  and  the  hereditary  princes 
of  Russia  belong, — Bismarck,  I  say,  will  undoubtedly  choose 
war.  This  you  will  see  by  next  week,  perhaps  sooner.  We 
can  rely  upon  Russia  absolutely ;  this  I  have  learned  in  con- 
ference lately  with  my  friend  Count  Repuin.  The  heir  to 
the  throne  of  Russia  hates  Bismarck,  and  the  Emperor's  voice 
is  powerless  in  the  matter ;  the  anti-Prussian  party  at  the 
Russian  court  is  too  large  and  too  powerful.  The  Frencli 
preparations  are  all  complete.  Immediately  after  war  is  de- 
clared a  French  army  will  invade  the  very  heart  of  Germany, 
and  will  be  received  by  the  acclamations  of  the  liberated 
Hanoverians." 


aSf^^IT'S^'I^P^^^??    •■'   "-    *^-  ■ST'--  '-'^  ;     :•     ■  ^   •',  .,«3|P^"; 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  lt^ 

"  And  what  part  have  you  assigned  to  me  in  the  struggle 
which  you  describe  as  so  near  at  hand  ?"  asked  Amo,  who 
during  tho  preceding  glib  explanations  had  been  pacing  the 
apartment  with  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground,  but  who  now 
paused  and  confronted  his  brother, 

"  The  one  marked  out  for  you  by  your  duty  as  an  enemy 
of  Bismarck,  as  an  officer  of  the  Saxon  army  which  was  so 
shamefully  defeated  in  1866,  and,  above  all,  as  a  true  Saxon 
patriot,"  the  Finanzrath  replied.  "If  Saxony  is  to  hold  its 
own  as  the  equal  of  Bavaria  and  Wtirtemberg  after  the  down- 
fall of  Prussia,  if  it  is  to  have  its  full  share  in  the  distribution 
of  the  Prussian  provinces,  this  unnatural  Prussian  alliance 
must  be  dissolved,  and  that  speedily.  Now  our  king  will 
hardly  be  in  a  condition  to  do  this ;  at  the  beginning  of  the 
war  he  will  be  deterred  by  considerations  that  have  no  weight, 
however,  with  Saxon  patriots.  As  in  1813,  York,  by  his 
independent  action,  decided  the  destiny  of  Prussia  and  earned 
the  gratitude  of  his  king — as  Saxon  troops  then,  following 
the  ignorant  leading  of  the  common  people,  went  over  to 
the  German  army  with  fljring  colours,  so  must  they  now,  in 
the  coming  conflict,  act  indfependently  for  their  fatherland. 
It  will  produce  a  tremendous  impression  upon  the  entire 
German  people,  and  conduce  essentially  to  the  speedy  over 
throw  of  Prussia,  if  the  Saxon  regiments  sunder  the  Prus- 
sian alliance  and  turn  their  bayonets  against  Prussians.  The 
animus  of  our  troops  is  good,  but  it  will  avail  nothing  unless 
their  officers  take  the  initiative,  and,  unfortunately,  many  of 
these  are  not  to  be  relied  on.  Our  corps  of  officers  is  tainted 
with  a  Prussian  mania ;  they  must  be  recalled  to  their  duty. 
Let  this  be  your  task,  Amo.  You  can  easily  influence  youi 
old  comrades ;  you  can  arouse  their  Saxon  patriotism,  inflame 
their  slumbering  hatred  of  Prussia.  You  must  instantly 
apply  for  reinstatement  in  your  old  rank.  I  have  provided 
that  your  application  should  receive  immediate  attention." 


■'■-!-13-ff^ra^g|PF'' 


176  CASTLE  HOTTENWALD. 

"  Treason,  then  !  You  would  incite  me  tu  degrading  per- 
jury and  treason  ?"  Arno  exclaimed,  looking  at  his  brother 
with  flashing  eyes.  "  Matters  have  gone  far  indeed  when  a 
Hohenwald  can  make  such  proposals  to  his  brother !" 

The  Finanzrath  was  quite  unprepared  for  such  a  reply. 
He  had  never  imagined  that  Arno  could  refuse  to  undertake 
the  task  assigned  to  him,  and  therefore  had  he  explained  his 
schemes  and  hopes  with  such  reckless  frankness.  He  sud- 
denly found  himself  exposed  to  a  danger  of  which  he  had  not 
dreamed.  What  if  Arno  should  misuse  the  knowledge  thus 
gained !  He  grew  pale,  but  speedily  recovered  his  composure. 
He  must  show  no  sign  of  fear ;  the  gam*^  might  yet  perhaps 
be  won. 

"  Who  talks  of  treason  ?"  he  rejoined,  with  forced  calm- 
ness. "  Is  it  treason  for  a  Saxon  officer  to  obey  his  king's 
command  ?  Is  it  treason  to  break  an  alliance  that  was  framed 
by  mere  brute  force  ?  Was  York  guilty  of  treason  in  1813  ? 
Has  not  posterity  honoured  him  as  the  saviour  of  his  country  ? 
Do  not  judge  too  hastily,  my  dear  Arno,  do  not  yield  to  a 
momentary  emotion,  but  ask  yourself,  after  calm  reflection, 
whether  you  are  justified  in  refusing  your  services  to  your 
country  at  her  sorest  need.  Can  you  ever  forget  that  you  are 
a  Saxon  ?  Our  king  and  country  are  to  be  delivered  from  the 
Prussian  yoke  ;  remember  that,  Arno,  before  you  decide." 

Amo  looked  at  his  brother  with  profound  contempt.  "  1 
will  hear  no  more !"  he  said,  sternly.  "  What  your  share 
may  be  in  the  disgraceful  intrigue  of  which  you  speak  I  dc 
not  know,  nor  do  I  wish  to  know.  Go  your  own  dark  way, 
but  do  not  think  to  mislead  me  by  your  sophistry.  I  know 
my  duty.  You  reckon  upon  my  hatred  of  Prussia,  upon  my 
love  for  our  own  little  Saxon  land ;  your  reckoning  is  false 
from  beginning  to  end.  Yes,  I  do  hate  the  arrogant,  ambi- 
tious Prussian,  but  I  have  a  fiercer  hatred  for  the  arch-enemy 
cf  all  Germany,  and  it  fills  me  with  shame  and  indignation 


^r'^J^''^fiy^^p^>^^^'='T^  -■=^-    '■  -       -:--'■    -^■S^^SJfi^*'"-.- ,  ' y  ■^'■Y^^^^^v»<' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  177 


that  a  Hohenwald  should  dream  of  inciting  his  brother  to  a 
disgraceful  league  with  France  in  a  war  with  Germany.  This 
is  the  error  in  your  prudent  calculations :  you  reckon  upon  the 
hatred  of  Prussia  in  South  G-ermany,  in  Hanover  and  Saxony, 
but  that  hatred  will  vanish  like  chafF  before  the  wind  when  it 
comes  to  be  a  question  of  defending  Germany  against  French 
lust  of  conquest.  Neither  you  nor  your  noble  Russian  friend 
Count  Repuin  can  use  the  German  love  of  country  as  a  factor 
in  your  calculations,  for  you  do  not  appreciate  its  existence, 
nor  that  there  are  happily  but  few  scoundrels  in  Germany  so 
ready  as  yourself  to  satisfy  their  own  selfish  ambition  by  giving 
over  their  fatherland  to  French  greed  of  territory." 

The  Finanzrath  sprang  up  in  a  rage,  but  his  brother,  with- 
out waiting  for  a  reply,  left  the  room.  "  Insulting  !"  Werner 
exclaimed,  quite  beside  himself. 

"  Not  one  word  against  Amo !"  the  old  Freiherr  said, 
sternly.  "  Every  word  that  he  uttered  found  its  echo  in  my 
soul,  and  I  thank  God  that  there  is  at  least  one  Hohenwald 
who  retains  within  him  a  sense  of  right  and  honour  and  a 
genuine  love  of  his  country.  Not  a  word,  Werner !  I  will 
hear  no  more  of  your  disgraceful  schemes ;  not  now,  at  all 
events.  I  must  be  more  myself  than  I  am  now  when  I  speak 
with  you  again.     Now  leave  me  ;  I  wish  to  be  alone." 

Werner  hesitated  for  a  moment,  but  judged  it  wisest  to 
make  no  attempt  at  present  to  recover  the  ground  he  had  lost. 
"  I  obey  your  commands,  sir,"  he  said ;  "  I  hope  calm  reflec- 
tion will  induce  you  to  change  your  mind,  and  that  it  will 
also  have  its  eflFect  upon  Amo." 

After  the  angry  (Cspute  with  his  brother,  Amo  walked  out 
into  the  garden,  and,  feeling  the  need  of  quiet  to  collect  him- 
self, took  his  seat  upon  a  rustic  bench  nearly  hidden  in  a 
clump  of  shrubbery.  It  was  a  favourite  retreat  of  his,  and 
from  its  seclusion  he  could  overlook  almost  the  entire  garden. 
Here,  then,  he  sat  down,  and  resigned  liimself  to  thought 
M 


;  w:§:!»?.raag»??»?^ 


178  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

So  buried  was  lie  in  reflection  that,  although  he  was  aware 
that  Friiulein  Miiller  and  Cclia  came  from  the  castle  to  take 
their  morning  walk,  and  passed  quite  near  him,  he  did  not 
heed  them  :  his  mind  was  filled  with  Werner's  dark  schemes. 

Thus  he  remained  for  he  could  not  tell  how  long,  when  he 
was  suddenly  roused  from  his  reverie  by  the  sound  of  th<» 
voice  that  never  reached  his  ear  without  thrilling  him  to  the 
heart.  He  looked  up.  Walking  along  a  leafy  side-path  came 
Werner  and  Friiulein  Miiller ;  she  was  speaking,  and  look- 
ing, not  at  Werner,  but  upon  the  ground.  Amo  thought  he 
perceived  that  her  voice  trembled,  although  he  could  not  dis- 
tinguish what  she  was  saying. 

Werner's  reply  was  made  in  so  low  a  tone  that  not  a  sound 
reached  Amo's  ear  ;  he  could  only  perceive  its  effect  upon 
Friiulein  Miiller,  and  it  aroused  within  him  a  feeling  of  in- 
dignation. There  was  pain  that  was  almost  agony  expressed 
in  Anna's  face  as  she  listened  eagerly  to  her  companion's 
whispered  words.  Werner  spoke  long  and  persistently,  bend- 
ing above  Fraulein  Miiller  the  while,  and  devouring  with 
passionate  admiration  the  lovely  downcast  face.  As  the  pair 
passed  his  retreat  Amo  caught  two  words  from  his  brother's 
lips,  "  Count  Kepuin,"  and  marked  how  colourless  was  Anna's 
cheek,  down  which  a  tear  was  trickling  from  beneath  the 
drooping  eyelid. 

They  passed,  and  at  the  end  of  the  woodland  path  turned 
into  a  walk  leading  to  the  castle.  Celia  here  joined  them. 
Near  the  castle  gate  they  paused.  Fraulein  Miiller,  with  a 
slight  inclination  to  Werner,  left  him  and  entered  the  castle 
with  Celia.  The  Finanzrath  turned  into  a  side-path  leading 
to  the  forest  and  disappeared  from  Amo's  sight. 

What  had  passed  between  Werner  and  this  girl?  Wan 
there  a  secret  understanding  between  them  ?  Amo  felt  his 
blood  boil  at  the  thought.  Had  Werner  really  induced  Anna, 
who  had  hitherto  treated  him  with  cool  reserve,  to  grant  him 


FKW'^gl^''**"^*^'*  w     -^  .,    -       -  ,  .  -_...,      «-5f|^»r.~ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  179 

a  private  confidential  interview  ?  She  had  begun  her  morn- 
ing walk,  accompanied  by  Celia,  and  had  sent  away  her  pupil 
that  she  might  speak  alone  with  Werner.  Amo  sprang  from 
his  seat  in  uncontrollable  agitation  ;  but  he  grew  calm  again 
as  he  remembered  the  pained  expression  of  Anna's  features, 
the  tear  that  had  rolled  down  her  pale  cheek.  If  there 
were  some  private  relation  between  them,  it  certainly  was 
not  a  friendly  one.  Still  the  mere  thought  that  Werner 
by  some  fine-spun  scheme  had  induced  the  girl  to  accord  him 
this  tete-a-tete,  and  to  listen  with  eager  attention  to  his  words, 
was  torture  to  Amo.  If  he  had  succeeded  thus  far,  what 
might  not  be  the  result?  She  must  be  warned,  warned 
against  the  vile  arts  of  the  betrayer  !  Thus  much  was  cer- 
tain. But  who  should  warn  her  ?  To  whom  could  he  con- 
fide his  fears  ?  To  his  father  ?  Impossible !  The  Freiherr 
was  not  overfond  of  Werner,  but  he  would  indignantly  have 
rejected  the  idea  that  his  son,  that  a  Hohenwald  could  be 
guilty  of  such  infamy.  Celia,  then?  An  innocent  child 
of  sixteen  ?  No  !  Celia  never  must  dream  that  her  eldest 
brother  could  harbour  a  thought  that  could  wrong  her  dear 
companion.  And  there  was  no  one  else  in  the  castle  who 
could  speak  one  word  to  Anna  upon  such  a  subject ;  he  had 
held  himself  so  aloof  that  he  never  could  advise  her  in  so 
delicate  a  matter. 

To  Styrum  he  would  turn  in  this  need ;  but  first  he  would 
narrowly  observe  Anna  and  Werner,  that  he  might  be  able 
to  give  his  friend  a  clearer  idea  of  the  relations  between  them 
than  he  had  yet  been  able  to  gain  for  himself. 

The  result  of  his  observation  during  the  next  few  days 
could  scarcely  be  called  favourable, — it.  strengthened  his 
suspicions  as  to  Werner's  dishonourable  intentions,  but  he 
arrived  at  no  decided  conclusion. 

There  was  evidently  a  change  in  the  relations  between 
Werner  and  Anna.     Sho  no  longer  avoided  cawjallv  meeting 


ri'»^T?jr^- 


180  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

the  Finanzrath  ;  she  did  not  cut  short  her  morning  walks 
witli  Celia  when  he  joined  them,  but  Arno  never  again  saw 
them  alone  togeoher. 

The  political  horizon  darkened  daily, — the  newspapers 
were  read  with  avidity.  None  of  the  Hohenwald  household 
could  resist  the  conviction  that  a  political  convulsion  waa 
at  hand ;  there  were  constant  discussions  at  table  and  in 
the  evenings  in  the  domestic  circle  as  to  public  affairs. 
On  these  occasions  Celia's  governess,  who  took  an  eager  in- 
terest in  the  conversation,  proved  herself  as  enthusiastic  an 
admirer  of  Bismarck  as  was  the  Finanzrath  his  bitter  oppo- 
nent. 

One  morning,  in  the  library,  Arno  was  eagerly  discussing 
the  news  of  the  day  with  Fraulein  Miiller.  Celia's  teacher 
was  unusually  interested ;  she  declared  that  her  hopes  for 
her  country  were  centred  on  Bismarck.  "  His  enemies,"  she 
said,  with  ardour,  "  conspire  in  secret ;  in  their  foolish  conceit 
they  believe  him  blind  to  their  manoeuvres,  deaf  to  their 
machinations,  but  I  am  convinced  that  he  clearly  sees  through 
their  dark  dealings.  A  Bismarck  is  not  to  be  hoodwinked 
by  such  men  as  the  Herr  Finanzrath." 

Scarcely  were  the  words  uttered  when  she  seemed  to  regret 
them, — they  had  evidently  escaped  her  unawares. 

Arno  listened  surprised.  "  You  know  of  my  brother's 
schemes,  then  ?"  he  asked. 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  reply.  "  They  are  not 
difi&cult  to  divine  ;  he  has  made  no  secret  of  his  desires  and 
hopes  ;  but  he  and  all  his  associates  will  find  themselves  de- 
ceived. Your  brother  in  his  miserable  plans  reckons  upon 
the  pitiable  jealousies  of  all  petty  governments ;  but  he  is  out 
in  his  reckoning, — the  German  people  is  not  yet  so  degraded 
as  to  lend  itself  to  so  frivolous  a  game.  If  war  should  really 
be  declared,  Germans  will,  with  a  few  disgraceful  exceptions, 
rally  promptly  around  the  banner  that  will  wave  in  the  front 


■'^^E'^^-^'.^^-Wss^'vJ^-r  7  ''^■JW:'    v^^-^         *         -^  ^^  M^^  .  ..-y^-v-;r^P3!»--r'-:=y.' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  181 

of  the  battle  to  vindicate  German  honour  and  faith  against 
all  rude  assaults.  The  very  attempt  now  made  to  retard  Ger- 
many in  its  march  towards  internal  unity  will  but  bear  it 
more  swiftly  to  its  goal  of  unity  and  freedom !" 

As  she  spoke  her  dark  eyes  sparkled,  her  cheeks  glowed, 
and  Arno  thought  he  had  never  seen  her  so  enchantingly 
beautiful. 

"  I  trust  from  my  soul  that  you  are  a  true  prophet!"  he 
rejoined. 

She  rewarded  him  for  these  words  by  a  brilliant  glance  of 
appreciation.  "  I  knew  that  you  must  think  thus,"  she 
said,  with  emotion ;  "  you  will  be  among  the  first  to  forget 
an  ancient  grudge  when  the  time  comes  to  stand  forth  for 
German  honour  and  German  right.  The  Freiherr  Arno  von 
Hohenwald  will  be  at  hand  when  the  German  people  is  sum- 
moned to  the  defence  of  the  fatherland ;  of  that  I  am  con- 
vinced from  my  very  soul."  She  held  out  her  hand  to  him : 
he  seized  it  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips:  for  die  moment  he 
scarcely  knew  what  he  was  doing;  his  past,  his  prejudices, 
were  all  forgotten ;  it  was  as  if  a  dark  cloud  which  had  en- 
veloped him  were  suddenly  rent  asunder,  revealing  to  his 
mental  vision  a  bright,  sunlit  future.  "  Tour  trust  shall  not 
be  deceived,"  he  said,  with  enthusiasm.  "  Be  sure  that  when 
the  battle  begins  I  shall  be  ready.  And  when  I  return  from 
iho  field,  will  you  not  give  me  a  kindly  welcome  ?" 

He  had  not  released  Anna's  hand  ;  he  bent  over  it  to  kiss 
It  once  again,  when  it  was  suddenly  withdrawn.  He  looked 
up,  and  was  shocked  by  her  altered  looks.  Her  cheeks  were 
deadly  pale,  the  light  of  enthusiasm  in  her  dark  eyes  was  gone : 
they  were  veiled  in  tears.  "  This  must  not  be,  Herr  Baron," 
she  said,  in  a  .low  monotone. 

"  Have  I  oflFended  you  ?"  Arno  asked,  startled. 

"  No — but — I  must  leave  you,  Herr  Baron ;  I  must  not 
and  will  not  listen  any  longer !" 

16 


182  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

She  would  have  turned  and  left  the  room,  but  Arno  took 
her  hand  again  and  held  it  fast.  "  But  you  must  listen,"  he 
said,  gravely ;  "  there  must  be  truth  between  us.  You  will  not 
yield  to  an  over-sensitive  delicacy  of  feeling  that  is  unworthy 
of  you,  you  will  not  leave  me  without  letting  me  tell  you  thai 
the  light  of  your  candid  eyes  has  banished  the  mists  that  hung 
about  me  ;  your  words  have  broken  the  spell  that  parted  me 
from  you.  My  heart  is  filled  with  sunshine ;  I  know  now 
that  I  love  you  with  my  whole  soul,  that  I  have  loved  you 
from  the  first  moment  that  I  saw  you  in  the  quarry.  I  have 
struggled  with  this  love,  I  have  even  tried  to  hate  you ;  have 
in  my  blind  folly  oft«n  shocked  and  oflTended  you,  because  I 
would  have  it  that  the  deception  which  so  blasted  my  first 
youthful  passion  had  killed  all  power  to  love  in  my  heart. 
I  know  now  how  grossly  I  deceived  myself.  I  am  in  your 
eyes  a  gloomy,  irritable  misanthrope  ;  you  can  accord  no  liking 
to  one  who  has  so  often  wounded  you  by  his  severity ;  but  it 
is  my  dearest  hope  that  one  day  your  love  may  be  mine,  and 
in  this  hope  I  shall  leave  you  when  duty  calls  me  tx)  the  field. 
It  will  henceforth  be  the  star  of  my  life." 

Anna  had  listened  in  silence  to  this  torrent  of  words ;  her 
hand  still  rested  in  his :  she  did  not  withdraw  it  until  he  had 
ended  ;  then  first  she  raised  her  eyes  and  looked  him  full  in 
the  face  with  an  expression  of  profound  sadness.  She  did 
not  reply  at  once ;  she  could  not  for  a  few  moments  sufficiently 
master  her  emotion  to  attain  an  external  calm.  When  she 
spoke  at  last,  it  was  with  an  evident  tremor  in  her  voice. 
"  There  must  be  truth  between  us,"  she  said ;  "  you  require 
it,  Herr  Baron,  and  I  owe  perfect  truth  both  to  you  and  to 
myself.  Your  sudden  and  unlooked-for  declaration  has  de- 
stroyed the  hope  in  which  I  had  found  peace.  I  hoped  to 
regard  Castle  Hohenwald  as  my  home ;  I  hoped  to  pass  years 
here,  sheltered  from  the  sorrows  which  have  poisoned  my 
life ;  but  your  words  drive  me  forth  into  the  world  again  1" 


,~^- 

-  ^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  183 

"  Anna  I  I  conjure  you " 

"  No  more,  Herr  Baron !  I  must  not  listen  to  you ;  must 
not  permit  hopes  that  can  never  be  fulfilled.  You  say  that 
the  hope  of  one  day  winning  my  love  will  be  the  guiding  star 
of  your  life ;  banish  the  idle  thought,  for  never, — I  swear  it 
by  Almighty  Qt)d, — never  may  I  return  your  love." 

"  You  love  another,  then  ?"  Amo  exclaimed. 

"  No,  Herr  Baron." 

"  Then  I  will  not  resign  the  hope  you  call  idle.  I  implore 
you  not  to  turn  from  me ;  I  ask  for  so  little,  for  no  promise, 
only  for  permission  to  love  you." 

"  And  this  little  I  must  not  grant.  I  pray  you  leave  me, 
Herr  Baron ;  we  must  part  forever.  I  must  not  again  ex- 
pose myself  to  a  danger  from  which  I  thought  myself  safe 
with  you ;  my  duty  as  well  as  my  honour  forbids  me  to  listen 
to  you.     Once  more  I  entreat  you  to  leave  me  1" 

"  You  rob  me  of  all  hope  ?"  Amo  asked,  gently. 

."All!" 

She  spoke  so  calmly,  and  with  such  absolute  firmness,  that 
Amo  despaired  of  moving  her ;  he  did  not  venture  to  add  a 
single  word  of  entreaty ;  after  so  decided  a  rejection  he  could 
no  longer  refuse  to  accede  to  her  request.  He  took  her  hand 
once  more,  kissed  it  passionately,  and  hurried  from  the  room. 

He  never  looked  back,  and  therefore  could  not  see  how, 
even  before  the  library  door  had  closed  upon  him,  Lucie's 
hardly-won  composure  utterly  forsook  her.  She  sank  into  a 
seat,  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  burst  into  a  passion 
of  tears. 

Half  an  hour  afterward  she  was  seated  at  her  desk  in  her 
room,  writing  to  her  dearest,  her  only  friend.  Addle. 

"  I  must  leave  here  immediately, — every  hour  of  my  stay 
at  Castle  Hohenwald  is  a  period  of  unspeakable  torment  for 
me.  I  had  feared  and  hoped  so  much  from  this  place ;  both 
fears  and  hopes  are  unfiilfilled,  and  I  must  leave  Hohenwald, 


184  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

where  I  was  so  content.  I  love  the  old  Freiherr  like  a  father, 
and  I  know  he  is  fond  of  me ;  scarcely  a  day  passes  that  he 
does  not  tell  me  that  the  sun  has  shone  more  brightly  in 
Hohcnwald  since  I  came  here.  And  I  love  my  darling  Celia, 
dear,  innocent  child ;  with  my  whole  heart  do  I  return  the 
tender  affection  she  lavishes  upon  me, — her  progress  delights 
me,  but  I  must  go. 

"  Do  not,  dear  Ad^le,  think  me  variable  and  fickle, — my 
heart  bleeds  at  the  thought  of  leaving  these  dear  people,  but 
it  must  be  ;  you  will  say  so  yourself  when  you  hear  all.  You 
know  I  have  faithfully  described  my  life  here  to  you.  I  have 
told  you  of  the  distaste  with  which  the  Finanzrath's  atten- 
tions inspired  me.  I  did  all  that  I  could  by  the  cold  reserve  of 
my  manner  to  impress  him  with  this  fact.  I  did  not  think 
he  would  ever  succeed  in  forcing  me  to  grant  him  a  private 
and  confidential  interview,  and  yet  this  he  has  done.  About 
a  week  ago  he  came  into  the  garden  where  Celia  and  I  were 
taking  our  usual  morning  walk.  He  had  just  returned  from 
one  of  his  frequent  journeys,  and  I  could  not  avoid  replying 
to  his  courteous  greeting.  He  joined  us  and  entered  into 
conversation  with  us.  He  talks  extremely  well,  and  even 
I  could  not  help  being  amused  by  his  lively  descriptions  of 
his  travelling  adventures,  while  Celia,  who  is  not  very  fond 
of  her  eldest  brother,  was  much  entertained.  Suddenly  he 
paused,  and,  turning  directly  to  me,  said,  '  But  I  have  not 
told  you  the  most  interesting  experience  of  my  trip,  Fraulein 
Miiller.'  Then,  with  a  searching  glance,  he  added,  '  I  have 
seen  several  friends  of  yours,  and  have  talked  of  you  a  great 
deal.' 

*'  I  felt  the  blood  mount  into  my  face  at  these  words.  I 
could  not  conceal  the  terror  with  which  they  inspired  me  , 
whereupon  the  Finanzrath,  with  a  satisfied  smile,  went  on,  *  I 
need  only  mention  the  name  of  one  of  my  friends,  of  Count 
Repuin,  to  convince  you  how  interesting  was  our  conversa- 


■::r>\^^-?T^r^'^Spg'fv^\-'- ■'■-'--•    '  ---;-*t^3-T~=<>-f-^>-;»|.;y.^r»;^^/v-i'»7-»-a,:.t:d..'T.       .  ;''>*8's«fS";~'  -'■  "        -,::'!^f^X^f^' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  185 

tion  about  you.'      The  detested  name  of  that  terrible  man 
produced  upon  me  all  the  effect  that  the  Finanzrath  had 
doubtless  expected.     It  was  only  by  a  strong  effort  that  I 
could  keep  myself  from  fainting.     Celia  noticed  my  pallor ; 
she  had   not   heard   her  brother's  words, — he  had  chosen 
a  moment  for  them  in  which  she  was  lagging  behind  to 
pluck  a  flower.     '  What  is  the  matter,  dear  Anna  ?'  she  ex- 
claimed, in  terror ;  '  you  are  deadly  pale.'     In  fact,  had  she 
not  put  her  arm  about  me  I  think  I  should  have  fallen,  al- 
though I  soon  recovered  myself.    The  Finanzrath  offered  me 
his  arm,  and  despatched  his  sister  to  the  castle  for  a  vinai- 
grette.   I  did  not  dare  to  refuse  his  proffered  aid,  lest  I  should 
offend  him,  and  thus  I  found  myself  alone  with  him,  forced 
to  continue  my  walk  leaning  upon  his  arm.     '  I  thank  you, 
Fraulein  Miiller,'  he  said,  as  soon  as  Celia  had  left  us,  '  for 
your  readiness  to  grant  me  this  tite-d-tite.     It  gives  me  a 
precious  proof  of  your  confidence  in  me, — a  confidence  which, 
I  promise  you,  you  never  shall  regret.     Chance  has  revealed 
to  me  your  secret ;  but  I  give  you  my  word  of  honour  it  shall 
remain  buried  in  my  breast.'     He  then  told  me  how  he  had 
learned  who  I  was.     Repuin  is  his  friend, — he  had  seen  him 
in  Munich,  and  one  day,  while  Repuin  was  engaged  in  writing 
letters,  had  whiled  away  the  time  by  looking  over  some  photo- 
graphs in  a  book  upon  the  Russian's  table.     Many  of  these 
he  was  familiar  with ;  but  his  astonishment  was  great  when 
in  one  of  them  he  recognized  his  sister's  governess.      He 
waited  until  Repuin  was  at  leisure,  and  then  his  first  thought, 
80  he  told  me,  was  to  ask  the  Count  whether  he  was  acquainted 
with  Fiaulein  Anna  Miiller,  the  original  of  the  photograph; 
but,  reflecting  that  Count  Styrum  had  made  it  a  request  that 
no  curiosity  shoidd  be  shown  regarding  my  past,  he  suspected 
that  I  should  prefer  the  Count's  remaining  in  ignorance  as  to 
my  whereabouts,  and  therefore  he  took  up  the  book  of  photo- 
graphs again,  as  if  casually,  and  suddenly  exclaimed,  'A  pretty 

16* 


^'^'^"^^^mr 


186  CASTLE  EOHENWALD. 

face,  Count;  who  is  this  girl?'  showing  my  likeness  as  he 
spoke. 

" '  Not  a  girl,  but  a  married  woman,'  Repuin  replied 
'  Sorr's  runaway  wife  !' 

"  *  I  could  not  so  command  my  features,'  the  Finanzrath 
continued  his  narrative,  '  aa  not  to  show  the  surprise  I  felt 
at  this  information.  Friiulein  Anna  Mtiller  the  wife  of  that 
Herr  von  Sorr  whom  Repuin  had  presented  to  me !  It 
seemed  impossible  I 

*'  'And  then  the  shameful  words  which  Repuin  had  uttered, 
"  Runaway  wife."  I  could  not  rest  without  some  explanation. 
Can  you  wonder  at  it,  Friiulein  Mtiller?  "The  picture  re- 
minds me  of  a  lady  whom  I  saw  not  long  ago,"  I  said. 

"  '  Scarcely  had  I  uttered  these  words  when  Repuin  sprang 
up  in  great  agitation.  "  You  have  seen  her  ?"  he  cried. 
"  There  is  no  other  face  that  resembles  hers ;  tell  me  where 
you  saw  her.  I  have  been  searching  for  her  for  months, 
but  she  has  vanished  utterly." 

"  '  What  was  I  to  tell  him  ?  I  saw  instantly  that  he  must 
be  put  upon  a  false  track,  and  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  re- 
plied that  I  had  shortly  before  travelled  in  a  railway  carriage 
with  a  young  lady  who  closely  resembled  the  picture. 

"  '  My  answer  was  so  prompt  that  Repuin  was  fortunately 
deceived.  He  never  suspected  that  I  was  misleading  him, 
and  questioned  me  further  with  the  greatest  eagerness.  I 
told  him  that  the  young  lady  had  been  my  travelling  com- 
panion from  Berlin  to  Cassel,  but  that  of  course  I  had  not 
exchanged  a  word  with  her. 

"  '  "  I  will  go  to  Cassel  this  very  night !"  Repuin  exclaimed, 
in  the  greatest  excitement.  "  I  must  find  her  !  I  have  sworn 
to  do  it  though  it  should  cost  me  half  my  fortune.  Now  that 
I  have  traced  her  she  shall  not  escape  me." 

"  '  He  was  completely  deceived  by  my  invention,  and  I  could 
no  longer  doubt  that  it  was  to  destroy  all  trace  of  your  exift- 


■f^^-'  :^-?*'«J^^'*"'^St',    "" -iv:- -;/!•;.    -.J-     -  .!.;  F-;-*;'    :•:  ~7f r-^.^T --       •      ■•'_;•■.'  '     ■  "VJBW-''^-.-    •  ■  '  -;•  -    ''^-'KJ^^Tt^'^^^S 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  187 

ence  that  you  had  taken  refiige  in  Castle  Hohenwald  under  a 
feigned  name.  I  remembered  your  enigmatical  letter  to  me, 
and  was  convinced  that  I  had  found  its  explanation.  Let  me 
assure  you  that  it  was  entirely  owing  to  my  profound  sym- 
pathy for  you  that  I  now  begged  the  Count  for  further  par- 
ticulars concerning  you.  What  I  heard  filled  me  with  horror 
and  indignation.  With  cynical  candour  he  informed  me  that 
he  had  spent  fabulous  sums  upon  Sorr  that  he  might  be  near 
his  charming  wife,  who  at  last,  when  he  had  actually  purchased 
her  of  her  wretch  of  a  husband,  vanished  without  a  trace.' 

"  Such,  dearest  Adele,  was  the  Finanzrath's  story,  which 
he  concluded  with  assurances  of  his  profound  secrecy. 

"  I  cannot  describe  my  sensations  while  he  was  speaking,  of 
mingled  fear  lest  he  should  betray  my  secret  and  give  Count 
Repuin  some  clue  to  my  retreat,  and  aversion  for  the  man 
himself.  I  quivered  with  anger  when  he  called  me,  as  he  did 
repeatedly, '  dear  Fraulein  Miiller,'  and  yet  I  did  not  dare  to 
show  him  that  it  offended  me,  lest  I  should  provoke  his  re- 
sentment. Celia,  who  came  &om  the  castle  with  the  salts,  at 
last  relieved  me  from  my  embarrassment.  The  Finanzrath  left 
us.  Then  I  determined  to  leave  Hohenwald,  but,  as  the  days 
slipped  by  and  the  Finanzrath  made  no  further  allusions  to 
my  secret,  I  decided  to  remain,  since  the  noble  old  Freiherr 
would  surely  grant  me  his  protection  in  case  of  any  disagree- 
able advances  from  his  son.  Each  day  the  shadow  that  the 
Finanzrath's  revelations  had  thrown  upon  my  peaceful  life 
here  faded  still  more ;  my  courage  returned  to  me.  I  believed 
myself  quite  safe  in  my  beloved  Hohenwald  with  my  dear 
Celia,  when  one  wretched  moment  blasted  all  my  hopes. 

"  I  must  go ;  I  cannot  stay  here,  for  Amo  has  just  told  me 
that  he  loves  me.  I  thought  his  heart  was  dead  to  all  affec- 
tion, and  he  has  j\ist  declared  his  passionate  attachment  for 
me. 

"  I  suffered  indescribably  when  all  that  I  could  do  in  answer 


-•■■,  f    h^^''ir^!^mmf 


188  CASTLE  IIOHENWALD. 

to  his  frank  avowal  of  affection  was  calmly  and  coldly  to 
crush  his  hopes  forever.  I  wept  bitter  tears  when  he  left 
me,  and  yet — yet  the  consciousness  of  his  love  brought  hap- 
piness with  it  as  well  as  misery. 

"  Strength  was  given  me  to  fulfil  my  duty ;  not  by  look  or 
word  did  I  betray  what  I  felt  in  rejecting  him,  but  could  I 
resist  him  a  second  time  ?  I  must  flee  from  my  own  weak- 
ness. 

"  I  can  write  no  m6re,  dear  Ad^le,  and  must  close.  I  am 
filled  with  but  one  desire, — to  go  away  from  here  as  soon  as 
may  be.  I  rely  upon  your  aid  again,  my  dear,  kind  friend ; 
try  to  find  me  another  asylum.  I  do  not  care  where  it  is  or 
what  it  is,  only  let  it  be  far,  far  away  from  here  and  from  all 
of  you. 

"  Help  me,  dear  Ad^e  ;  protect  your 

"  LXJCIE." 


CHAPTER    XL 

Celia  peered  into  the  forest  on  either  side  of  the  road ; 
she  had  ridden  from  the  castle  more  quickly  than  usual,  that 
she  might  not  be  unpunctual,  and  for  the  first  time  Kurt  was 
not  at  his  post.  She  listened  with  bated  breath,  but  no 
sound  was  to  be  heard  except  the  rustling  of  the  boughs 
overhead  and  the  soft  note  of  a  woodland  bird. 

What  could  have  happened?  He  had  hitherto  always 
been  awaiting  her  at  their  place  of  meeting.  How  could  he 
allow  anything  to  curtail,  even  by  a  few  moments,  the  short 
hour  to  which  they  both  looked  forward  so  eagerly?  Although 
he  could  not  be  to  blame,  still  she  felt  aggrieved.  Pluto,  too, 
seemed  to  find  his  absence  very  unnatural.  He  pawed  the 
ground  impatiently  with  his  fore-foot  and  shook  his  black 


^^iw™|¥?9?K?  ■•'•■"'?,>  v  ■- 1-      'v';.".  -».*^,-;?^y-^V;oj>-'*'^"r     -■•  -  -  \  v     '      :.  ;~«'':»^s^s^.: 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  189 

mane ;  then  pricked  his  delicate  ears  with  a  neigh  as  a  dis- 
tant crackling  of  the  underbrush  was  heard,  and  a  minute 
afterwards  Kurt  made  his  appearance.  He  was  very  warm 
and  quite  out  of  breath  with  the  haste  he  had  made  to  atone 
for  his  want  of  punctuality. 

"  Now  this  I  call  scant  courtesy !"  exclaimed  Celia,  who 
had  intended  to  punish  him  by  a  cool  reception  for  his  tardi- 
ness. She  was  quickly  appeased,  however,  when  she  saw  how 
warm  he  looked  from  his  hasty  walk.  She  held  out  her  hand 
to  him,  and  when  he  took  it  leaned  down  towards  him. 
"  You  do  not  deserve  a  kiss  for  keeping  me  waiting  so  long, 
but  I  will  temper  justice  with  mercy.  Poor  fellow  !  you  are 
terribly  warm  ;  you  ought  not  to  have  walked  so  fast !" 

What  had  become  of  Kurt's  good  resolutions  ?  They  had 
shared  the  fate  that  awaits  such  resolutions  generally.  How 
could  he  resist  when  Celia  smiled  so  bewitchingly  upon  him  ? 
The  temptation  waa  too  great.  Besides,  he  had  only  resolved 
never  by  a  single  word  to  betray  Celia's  childlike  trust  in  him, 
to  treat  her  as  a  brother  would  treat  a  tenderly-loved  sister, 
and  is  it  not  perfectly  allowable  for  a  brother  to  kiss  a  dear 
sister  ?  He  was  not  wrong  in  kissing  her.  Had  he  been 
wrong  several  weeks  before,  when  Celia,  aiter  some  slight 
dispute,  offered  htm  her  rosy  lips  in  token  of  reconciliation, 
not  to  reftise  the  precious  gift  ?  Celia,  in  her  innocent  purity, 
never  could  have  comprehended  such  a  reftisal,  and  would 
have  been  deeply  grieved  by  it. 

Since  then  it  had  become  a  custom  for  the  young  girl  to 
receive  him  daily  with  a  kiss,  and  to  take  leave  of  him  with 
a  kiss,  and  they  called  each  other  by  their  first  names.  It 
would  have  been  ridiculous  in  Kurt,  aft«r  becoming  so  inti- 
mate with  Celia,  to  adhere  to  the  formal  "  Fraulein  von  Ho- 
henwald"  in  addressing  her.  It  had  vanished ;  neither  Kurt 
•or  Celia  could  tell  when  or  how ;  it  had  done  so  so  naturally. 

Still,  after  that  kiss  of  reconciliation  Kurt  had  not  felt 


■■'.■.■;.-^*:«P^';-.j^ 


190  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

perfectly  comfortable  as  he  walked  home  to  Griinhagen ;  he 
was  dissatisfied  with  himself.  Cool  reflection  told  him  that 
he  had  been  false  to  his  resolve, — he,  a  man  to  whom  life 
and  its  perils  were  familiar,  should  have  conquered  himself; 
he  should  have  been  a  guide  to  Celia,  who  was  half  a  child, 
and  who  had  no  idea  that  there  could  be  any  danger  in  her 
guileless  familiarity.  But  his  heart  bore  away  the  victory 
from  his  understanding.  Kurt  quieted  his  conscience  when 
it  would  have  reproached  him.  Was  it  his  fault  that  he  did 
not  go  directly  to  Celia's  father  and  declare  his  love  for  her, 
and  that  she  loved  him  in  return  ?  Ah,  how  gladly  would 
he,  if  he  could,  have  done  this  1  But  the  miserable  family 
feud,  the  invincible  prejudice  of  the  old  Freiherr,  forbade  all 
approach.  Should  Kurt,  then,  sacrifice  the  happiness  of  his 
life,  his  love  for  Celia,  to  such  a  phantom  ?  Should  he  re- 
ject the  dear  girl's  confidence  because  the  old  Baron  in  his 
obstinacy  had  an  unaccountable  hatred  for  the  name  of  Po- 
seneck  ?  No  ;  he  could  not  and  he  would  not.  He  never  had 
asked  Celia  whether  she  loved  him  and  would  be  his ;  but 
there  was  no  need  of  such  words  between  them.  He  knew 
that  her  heart  belonged  to  him,  and  his  determination  to  win 
her  hand  was  absolute,  although  he  vainly  sought  in  his 
imagination  for  some  means  to  attain  this  end. 

Castle  Hohenwald  was  surrounded  for  him  by  an  insur- 
mountable wall ;  there  was  no  possible  way  by  which  he  could 
approach  Celia's  father.  Did  not  the  Finanzrath  whenever 
he  came  to  Griinhagen  loudly  lament  that  it  was  impossible 
for  him  to  invite  Herr  von  Poseneck  to  return  his  visit  ?  The 
attempt,  too,  which  Count  Styrum  had  made  to  influence 
Arno  had  been  without  result.  Arno  was  as  inaccessible  aa 
his  father.     Castle  Hohenwald  was  closed  against  Kurt. 

Yet  he  would  not  resign  hope ;  he  was  resolved  that  his 
life  should  not  be  ruined  by  a  silly  prejudice.  Although 
Celia  was  now  too  young  to  bestow  her  hand  where  she  chose, 


T^  ^,    s~  1  ,  K^«^^  -p^iiv-s.  "'  ■Wf' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD  191 

perhaps,  in  direct  opposition  to  her  father's  will,  it  would 
not  always  be  so.  Thus  Kurt  hoped  in  the  future  for  some 
lucky  chance  that  would  make  it  possible  for  him  to  surmount 
the  barriers  that  kept  him  from  Castle  Hohenwald. 

With  these  hopes  he  soothed  his  conscience  when  it  re- 
proached him  for  yielding  to  the  spell  that  Celia's  confiden- 
tial familiarity  cast  around  him.  He  knew  that  no  unholy 
thought  stained  his  devoted  love  for  the  dear  girl,  and  knowing 
this,  he  believed  himself  justified  in  enjoying  the  bliss  of  the 
present. 

"  But  you  were  angry  with  me,  Celia,"  he  said,  as,  after  her 
kiss,  he  walked  slowly  along  beside  Pluto.  "  You  were  angry 
with  me  for  keeping  you  waiting.  Confess  it;  your  first 
words  hardly  sounded  kind." 

"  Well,  yes ;  I  will  not  deny,"  Celia  replied,  "  that  I  was  a 
little  vexed  and  hurt.  I  had  been  thinking  of  you  all  day 
long,  and  you  were  not  here ;  I  did  not  know  what  to  think. 
You  never  kept  me  waiting  before ;  indeed,  you  spoil  me,  Kurt, 
as  does  every  one, — you,  and  my  father,  and  Amo,  and  my 
dear  Anna.  You  all  spoil  me,  and  ought  not  to  be  surprised 
when  I  am  impatient." 

"  I  am  only  surprised  that  you  forgave  me  so  quickly." 

"  Oh,  I  was  so  glad  to  have  you  here,  although  I  ought 
to  have  scolded  you  for  walking  so  fast  in  this  terrible  heat. 
You  look  warm  still." 

*'  I  could  not  help  it.  I  was  afraid  you  would  think  I  was 
not  coming  and  would  ride  home  again.  In  my  heart  I  cursed 
that  tiresome  Assessor  for  detaining  me,  and  when  at  last  I 
escaped  from  him,  I  walked  straight  across  the  Hohenwald 
fields  to  meet  you  here." 

"  You  need  not  have  done  that,  you  dear,  kind  Kurt.  I 
should  have  waited  an  hour  hero  for  you  at  least."  Again  she 
held  out  her  hand  to  him,  and  surely  it  was  but  natural  that 
he  should  kiss  it  passionately. 


192  CASTLE   HOHENWALD. 

"  Have  you  another  visitxjr  at  Griinhagen?"  Celia  continued, 
without  being  put  at  all  out  of  countenance  by  the  tender  kiss 
imprinted  upon  her  hand.  "  You  said  something  of  a  tire- 
some Assessor  who  had  detained  you." 

"  Yes,  an  Assessor  von  Halin,  who  has  lately  been  trans- 
ferred to  the  courts  at  A- ,  saw  fit  to  pay  my  uncle  a  visit 

this  morning.  With  his  usual  hospitality  my  uncle  invited 
him  to  stay,  and  to  my  horror  he  accepted  the  invitation.  He 
is  a  commonplace,  tiresome  man,  and  incredibly  inquisitive. 
He  has  only  one  good  quality,  which  is  that  he  is  a  distant 
relative  of  yours." 

"  Yes,  the  Hahns  are  remotely  connected  with  my  mother's 
family,  but  I  never  heard  anything  of  them,  and  did  not  even 
know  of  the  existence  of  an  Assessor  von  Hahn." 

"  I  assure  you  it  would  mortify  him  excessively  to  hear 
you  say  so.  He  has  already  told  my  uncle  and  myself  much 
with  regard  to  his  relationship  to  the  Hohenwalds,  and  has 
deeply  lamented  that  Castle  Hohenwald  is  closed  even  to  near 
connections.  When  he  heard  that  your  father  had  consented 
to  have  a  governess  for  you  he  was  overwhelmed  with  aston- 
ishment, and  asked  every  imaginable  question  concerning 
Frjiulein  Miiller,  where  she  came  from,  who  she  was,  how  she 
looked ;  whether  she  were  ugly  or  pretty,  young  or  old, 
learned  or  ignorant.  He  wanted  to  know  all  about  her,  and  I 
could  see  was  greatly  dissatisfied  with  the  scanty  information 
he  gathered  from  us.  He  tormented  me  with  questions  about 
you  and  your  brothers  and  your  father,  and  I  escaped  from 
him  only  by  slipping  ofi"  when  he  was  engaged  for  a  moment 
with  the  newspaper.  My  uncle  told  him  that  I  was  in  the 
habit  of  taking  a  solitary  walk  in  the  forest  every  afternoon, 
upon  which  he  ofi"ered  to  accompany  me,  and  was  not  at  all  dis- 
mayed by  the  terrible  picture  I  drew  of  the  difficulties  of  the 
path  through  the  uudcrbrui«h.  I  could  not  get  away  from 
him  except  by  secret  flight." 


fl^f?- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  193 

'  My  precious  cousin  seems  to  be  a  very  agreeable  man," 
aaid  Celia,  laughing. 

"  He  is  insufferable,  and  yet  I  ought  to  be  glad  of  his  visit. 
In  his  loquacity  he  supplied  my  uncle  and  myself  with  some 
important  information  which  made  it  especially  desirable  that 
I  should  see  you  this  afternoon." 

"  Information  that  concerns  me  ! " 

"  That  concerns  your  brother  Werner,"  Kurt  replied,  very 
graiely.  "  I  am  afraid  he  has  allowed  himself  to  be  drawn 
into  certain  schemes  which  may  place  your  father  and  Amo 
in  a  very  embarrassing  situation,  although  I  do  not  believe 
that,  as  the  Assessor  hinted,  they  have  any  share  in  them.  I 
never  regretted  so  deeply  as  to-day  that  your  father's  and 
Amo's  wretched  prejudice  against  our  family  made  it  impos- 
sible for  me  to  hasten  to  Hohenwald  to  warn  your  father,  and 
to  entreat  him  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  Werner's  insidious  whis- 
pers. I  long  to  do  this,  but  how  would  he  receive  one  of 
the  hated  Posenecks?  He  would  not  credit  my  informa- 
tion, just  because  it  came  from  me  ;  he  would  repulse  me  as 
an  unauthorized  intruder.  My  warning  would  probably  do 
more  harm  than  good,  and  Amo  is  just  as  inaccessible  as  your 
father." 

"  Unfortunately,  you  are  right,"  Celia  said,  sadly.  "  You 
would  not  be  kindly  received  at  Hohenwald.  But  can  you  not 
tell  me  what  you  wish  to  say  to  my  father  and  Amo  ?  I  am 
afraid  that  neither  of  them  would  pay  me  much  heed,  but  I 
will  induce  Anna  to  help  me,  and  my  father  at  least  will  be 
influenced  by  her.  Arno,  to  be  sure,  is  incorrigible ;  even 
Anna  has  no  effect  upon  him." 

"  Has  Fraulein  Midler  any  influence  with  Werner  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know,"  Celia  replied,  thoughtfully.     "  I  have 

•ometimes  thought  so ;  at  all  events,  the  relations  between 

them  seem  to  me  very  odd  and  quite  incomprehensible.    She 

cannot  endure  him,  and  avoids  him  whenever  she  can,  and 

N  17 


■■■'f'^T^^Wf 


194  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

yet  he  pays   her  devoted  attention.     I  cannot  understand 


it." 


"  It  might  be  dangerous,  then,  to  trust  Fraulein  Miiller  ?" 

*'  Now  you  are  unkind,  Kurt !"  Celia  exclaimed,  indig- 
nantly.    "  You  must  not  speak  so  of  my  Anna." 

"  But  you  yourself  said " 

"  I  never  said  or  thought  anything  that  could  imply  a  want 
of  confidence  in  her.  I  trust  her  entirely.  But  you  have 
told  me  nothing  of  these  mysterious  schemes  of  Werner's.  I 
know  nothing  as  yet." 

"  You  shall  know  all  that  I  know  myself,  although  it  may 
be  wrong  for  me  to  acquaint  a  young  girl  of  sixteen  with 
political  intrigues  existing  perhaps  only  in  the  diseased  fancy 
of  this  garrulous  Assessor." 

Celia  hastily  withdrew  the  hand  which  Kurt  had  held  in 
his  own  as  he  slowly  walked  along  beside  Pluto.  "  You  are 
very  disagreeable,  Kurt,"  she  said.  "  I  am  no  longer  a  child  ; 
girls  are  far  more  precocious  than  boys,  and  at  sixteen  I  may 
surely  be  trusted.  And  I  am  very  much  interested  in  poli- 
tics :  I  read  the  papers  daily ;  have  we  not  often  discussed 
them  together?  I  continually  scold  papa  and  Amo  for 
abusing  Bismarck  as  they  do." 

Kurt  could  not  but  smile  at  her  indignation.  "  Do  not  be 
angry  with  me,  dearest  Celia,"  he  said.  "  I  will  tell  you  all  I 
know,  which,  unfortunately,  is  not  much ;  the  Assessor's  hints 
were  rather  vague  and  confused.  Since  you  read  the  daily 
papers  you  know  well  how  imminent  is  the  danger  of  a  war 
with  France.  At  such  a  time  it  is  the  duty  of  every  German 
to  be  true  to  the  fatherland,  and  yet  there  is  a  large  party  in 
Germany  who  ignore  this,  and  who,  because  they  are  opposed 
to  the  Prussian  government,  wish  for  a  war  with  France  and 
the  overthrow  of  Germany  and  Prussia.  To  this  party  your 
brother  Werner  unfortunately  belongs." 

"  Unfortunately !"  Celia  said  in  confirmation  of  his  words. 


.^^W^^-.^^?^^^l^'&m^*''l--^^^^  :  ^'^r-f^W'^j^; ^'.j^r--^-^^-^^^^  ■^'^',- '■:■     V  '  ■      v'^ .  ■  T TIS^F'P 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  195 

"  Those  belonging  to  it,"  Kurt  continued,  "  know  nothing 
of  true  patriotism.  Prompted  by  mean  self-interest  and  by 
silly  hatred  of  Prussia,  they  are  ready  to  ally  themselves  with 
the  Frenchman,  the  arch-enemy  of  G-ermany,  who  believes 
that  when  war  is  declared  all  the  enemies  of  Prussia  in 
Southern  Germany,  in  Saxony,  and  in  Hanover  will  flock  to 
his  banner.  There  are  at  present  Franch  agents  scattered 
through  Germany  employed  in  plotting  and  arranging  for  this 
disgraceful  treachery.  These  agents  are  of  every  nation ; 
some  of  them  are  even  Germans  of  rank,  who  believe  that 
their  names  shelter  them  from  suspicion,  and  that  they  can 
pursue  their  dark  designs  unobserved.  But  they  are  mis- 
taken ;  the  leader  of  Prussian  polities  is  not  so  easily  hood- 
winked as  they  think ;  he  knows  his  treacherous  opponents, 
and  will  know  how  to  bring  them  to  the  punishment  they 
deserve." 

"  And  you  are  going  to  tell  me  that  Werner  is  one  of  these 
treacherous  agents,"  Celia  interrupted  Kurt,  "  I  suspected 
it ;  this  is  why  he  has  taken  these  frequent  journeys.  Wer- 
ner is  sufficiently  unprincipled  to  lend  himself  from  vanity 
and  ambition  to  such  treachery,  but  Amo,  I  assure  you,  Kurt, 
is  incapable  of  it.  He  is  stem  and  hard,  but  he  never  would 
dream  of  aiding  in  treason  against  his  country.  You  must 
not  suspect  him  for  an  instant." 

"  I  do  not  suspect  him,  but  others  do,  and  therefore  I  feax 
both  for  him  and  for  your  father.  The  gossiping  Assessor 
hinted  to  my  uncle  and  myself  that  Castle  Hohenwald  is  the 
centre  of  various  treasonable  intrigues,  that  Werner  is  in  con- 
stant communication  with  the  most  dangerous  French  agents, 
with  a  certain  Count  Repuin,  for  example ;  nay,  that  he  is 
himself  such  an  agent,  working  in  the  French  interest  among 
the  Saxon  nobility,  and  that  he  is  probably  assisted  by  your 
father  and  Amo,  whose  hatred  of  Prussia  is  well  known 
The  Assessor  implied  further  that  Castle  Hohenwald  is  undei 


196  CASTLE  HOTTENWALD. 

strict  surveillance,  and  that  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when 
these  treasonable  intripies  are  to  be  crushed  out  by  the  arrest 
of  all  the  Hohenwalds.  Your  father  and  Arno  must  be  put 
upon  their  guard  against  Werner,  but  how  it  is  to  be  done  I 
do  not  know." 

"  I  will  warn  them  !"  Celia  said,  decidedly. 

"  Will  they  believe  you  ?  Will  not  your  father's  first  ques- 
tion be  whence  came  your  information  ?" 

"  Of  course  it  will,  and  I  know  he  will  be  terribly  angry  when 
he  knows  all ;  still,  I  must  not  mind  that  if  he  and  Arno  are 
in  danger  of  arrest.  He  will  get  over  it  in  time.  The  worst 
is,  that  until  he  does  he  will  forbid  my  riding  out,  or  will 
always  send  Arno  with  me,  so  that  we  shall  not  see  each 
other.  But  I  must  bear  that  too.  It  has  perhaps  been  wrong 
for  us  to  have  these  meetings  here  every  day.  I  have  never 
been  able  to  look  papa  full  in  the  face  when  the  Posenecks 
were  mentioned,  or  any  allusion  made  to  my  afternoon  rides. 
I  never  before  had  a  secret  from  my  dear  old  father,  and  he 
has  a  right  to  be  angry  that  I  have  concealed  from  him  what 
he  ought  to  have  known  long  ago.  But  if  I  should  hesitate 
now  from  fear  of  his  anger  to  tell  him  that  danger  threatens 
him,  and  that  vou  have  informed  me  of  it,  how  could  I  ever 
forgive  myself  if  anything  should  really  happen  to  him  ?  Tell 
me,  dear  Kurt,  am  I  not  right  ?" 

"  Yes,  you  are  right,  darling  courageous  child  that  you  are. 
1  do  not  know  how  I  can  bear  to  lack  the  sight  and  sound  of 
you  every  day ;  I  shall  be  wretched  without  this  hour  of  de- 
light ;  but  you  are  right.  We  must  not  think  of  ourselves, 
but  of  how  to  avert  the  danger  that  threatens  your  father 
and  Arno." 

"  You  are  the  dearest  and  the  best  fellow  in  the  world  !" 

As  she  spoke,  Celia  allowed  Kurt  to  lift  her  from  her 
horse  and  conduct  her  to  a  rustic  bench,  which  he  had  him- 
self constructed,  just  upon  the  borders   of  the  Griinhagen 


;  i^^-?ff^«;r=?53f^F^5|i!^rt:^rf^^^    -.  .-  .;■/        -■■■^■■«-.-j-  .-^-■...,  ...-..•_  -.-•-\y.i-^^;y-:^'^SF^:^C^':/-V\^-  y  ■■■  -'.  --\5SP"-        '  -  \'  ^: .?'-:■'■  1^'^^lfy^, 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  197 

forest,  where  they  usually  parted  from  each  other.  Many  a 
time  lately  they  had  sat  here  side  by  side,  but  to-day  every 
moment  seemed  more  precious  than  ever,  the  future  was  so 
uncertain. 

They  sat  silent  for  a  long  while,  his  arm  about  her  waist 
and  her  lovely  head  reclined  upon  his  shoulder,  while  her 
eyes  were  downcast ;  she  was  reflecting  upon  the  coming 
parting. 

"  Will  your  father  believe  you  when  he  knows  that  your 
warning  comes  from  me  ?"  Kurt  asked,  suddenly.  "  Will  he 
not  suspect  me  of  giving  it  with  a  view  of  arousing  his  grati- 
tude, and  thus  obtaining  an  entrance  into  Castle  Hohenwald  ? 
If  I  did  not  fear  that  this  would  be  so,  I  would  go  to  him 
myself,  his  commands  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding ;  but, 
as  I  told  you  before,  I  dread  his  transferring  his  doubt  of  him 
who  warns,  to  the  warning  itself  to  the  extent  of  rejecting  it 
incredulously.  The  same  thing  will  happen  if  you  tell  him 
that  it  is  I  who  warn  him ;  he  will  even  be  more  suspicious 
and  mistrustful  in  his  anger  at  our  intimacy,  which  has  be- 
come such  without  his  knowledge  and  against  his  will." 

Celia's  eyes  sparkled.  Hard  as  she  knew  it  would  be  to 
put  a  stop  to  these  meetings  by  a  frank  confession,  she  was 
still  resolved  to  make  the  sacrifice,  but  Kurt's  words  showed 
her  that  it  would  be  useless ;  she  was  quite  ready  in  a  moment 
to  convince  herself  that  for  the  present  it  was  best  that  her 
father  should  be  ignorant  of  her  meetings  with  Kurt,  lest  he 
should  regard  the  warning  with  suspicion. 

She  raised  her  head,  and  looking  at  Kurt  with  a  happy 
smile,  said,  "  Anna  will  help  us ;  we  will  tell  her  all.  If  she 
puts  my  father  upon  his  guard  and  tells  him  that  she  cannot 
mention  the  source  whence  comes  her  information,  but  that 
she  knows  it  to  be  correct,  he  will  pay  heed  to  her ;  he  has 
the  greatest  confidence  in  her,  and  it  never  will  occur  to  him 
that  she  could  deceive  him." 

1?* 


~*;'"^^SB'- 


198  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Kurt  had  no  objection  to  urge  to  this.  He  consented  that 
Celia  should  confide  everything  to  her  friend,  both  as  regarded 
their  daily  meetings,  and  as  to  what  Kurt  had  heard  from 
the  Assessor  von  Hahn. 

Thus  conversing,  the  time  flew  by  so  quickly  that  the  lovers 
did  not  suspect  the  lateness  of  the  hour.  The  outer  world 
was  forgotten,  when  suddenly  they  were  recalled  to  it  by  an 
unfamiliar  voice,  that  gayly  interrupted  their  confidential  talk 
with,  "  Found  at  last !  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons  for  dis- 
turbing you  ;  I  never  suspected  that  I  should  find  Herr  von 
Poseneck  in  such  charming  society.  Now  I  understand  his 
sudden  disappearance  ;  but  pray  don't  let  me  disturb  you  ;  I 
am  thoroughly  discreet ;  I  will  not  boast  of  it,  for  discretion 
is  a  gift  of  nature ;  I  possess  it,  and  would  not  for  worlds 
interrupt  a  delightftil  tete-d-tete." 

Kurt  and  Celia,  as  soon  as  the  voice  fell  upon  their  ears, 
started  up  from  the  bench,  Celia  looking  down  blushing, 
greatly  confiised,  while  Kurt,  with  anger  flashing  in  his  eyes, 
confronted  the  Assessor,  who,  in  the  best  of  humours,  did  not 
seem  to  perceive  how  unwelcome  was  his  presence.  This 
first  appeared  to  occur  to  him  when  Kurt  approached  him, 
saying  sternly,  "  Sir,  what  do  you  mean  ?  how  dare  you  thus 
follow  me  without  my  permission  ?" 

The  Assessor  retreated  a  step,  taught  by  the  angry  gleam 
in  Kurt's  eyes  that  his  jesting  remarks  had  been  quite  out  of 
place.  In  much  confusion  he  stammered,  "I  beg  pardon; 
indeed  nothing  was  farther  from  my  intention  than  to  intrude ; 
I  am  inconsolable  at  having  disturbed  you." 

The  poor  little  man,  as  he  shrank  from  Kurt's  indignant 
glance  and  poured  out  his  terrified  excuses,  cut  so  odd  a 
figure  that  Celia  could  not  help  smiling,  although  she  was 
anything  but  pleased  with  the  present  aspect  of  afiairs.  She 
could  see  that  Kurt's  indignation  was  still  ftirther  aroused 
by  the  intruder's  apology,  and  she  whispered  to  him  as  gentlj 


fV¥K~iv^F^:PfW^^^s^-''-     r«     "■■•f~".^_;,  -    "r%--y<^;,as,S!^«j»^»> ,; .'    i'^T-r  • -»  ^  .■.-T-,..'.<ppr'     •*"■'-  -    -.r'r'/5'^*'T';5»*" 


CASTLE  BOBENWALD.  199 

as  possible    "  Be  calm,  dearest  Kurt,  I  pray  you,  for  my 
sake." 

Her  words  produced  an  instant  effect.  Kurt's  brow  grew 
smootb,  the  angry  look  vanished  from  his  eyes,  which  sparkled 
strangely  as  be  looked  at  Celia,  and  then  turned  with  an  air 
of  sudden  determination  to  the  Assessor,  saying,  in  a  much 
gentler  tone,  "  It  is  not  to  me,  Herr  von  Hahn,  that  you 
should  excuse  yourself,  but  to  my  betrothed,  Fraulein  Celia 
von  Hohenwald."  As  he  spoke  he  cast  at  Celia  a  quick 
glance  of  inquiry,  afraid  lest  his  words  might  offend  her ;  but 
no,  she  did  not  even  look  surprised ;  an  arch  smile  quivered 
about  her  lips  for  a  moment,  and  she  nodded  to  him  assent- 
ingly. 

The  Assessor's  amazement,  however,  was  unbounded ;  his 
large  and  rather  prominent  blue  eyes  grew  larger  and  more 
nrominent  as  he  looked  from  Kurt  to  Celia.  "  Ah — reaUy — 
indeed" — 'he  stammered,  bowing  low — "  I  had  no  idea — I 
humbly  beg  the  lady's  pardon — permit  me  to  offer  my  cordial 
congratulations — indeed — I  am  so  surprised  that  I  hardly  ^ 
know  what  to  say." 

Celia  laughed;  she  could  not  help  it:  the  flaxen  little 
Assessor  was  too  comical;  and  Kurt  smiled;  he  was  no 
longer  angry,  but  inexpressibly  happy.  Celia's  hand  was  in 
his  and  returned  his  pressure.  How  could  he  be  angry  with 
the  Assessor,  who  had  been  the  cause  of  his  sudden  resolve  ? 
"  Never  mind,  Herr  Assessor,"  he  said,  kindly.  "  We  will 
credit  you  with  the  most  heartfelt  good  wishes.  But" — and 
he  suddenly  changed  his  tone  to  one  of  grave  admonition — 
"  since  chance  has  willed  that  you  should  be  the  recipient  of 
our  confidence,  I  must  pray  you  not  to  misuse  it.  You  know 
that  there  exists  an  hereditary  feud  between  the  Hohenwalds 
and  the  Posenecks,  which  some  of  the  members  of  the  families 
have  not  yet  agreed  to  forget,  therefore  we,  my  betrothed  and 
myself,  do  most  earnestly  enjoin  upon  you  to  be  silent  as  to 


^t7m^^^?(' 


f^33; 


200  CASTLE  HOHEHWALD. 

what  you  have  learned.  Any  allusion  to  it  to  others  would 
be  an  indiscretion  for  which  I  should  be  obliged  to  call  you 
to  account.     I  am  sure  we  may  rely  upon  you." 

"  Absolutely.  I  swear  it !"  the  Assessor  eagerly  replied. 
"  Not  a  word  shall  escape  my  lips.    I  am  silent  as  the  grave  !" 

"  I  am  quite  sure  that  your  promise  will  be  kept.  And 
now  we  will  no  longer  detain  you  from  the  enjoyment  of  your 
walk.  This  broad  road  leads  to  Castle  Hohenwald ;  by  pur- 
suing it  until  you  reach  three  huge  oaks  in  a  group  you  will 
find  a  by-path  on  the  right,  which  will  give  you  a  pleasant 
stroll  through  the  forest  and  lead  you  out  into  the  open, 
whence  you  will  perceive  Griinhagen  in  the  distance." 

The  Assessor  bowed.  Clearly  he  was  dismissed.  He 
would  have  liked  to  exchange  a  few  words  with  his  relative 
Celia,  whose  voice  even  he  had  not  heard,  but  there  was 
something  in  Kurt's  manner  that  told  him  it  was  hardly  ad- 
visable to  linger  here  longer.  In  a  few  choice  phrases  he 
expressed  to  Celia  his  delight  at  this  chance  meeting  with  so 
charming  a  cousin,  and  his  sorrow  that  circumstances  over 
which  he  had  no  control  would  prevent  him  from  calling  upon 
her  at  the  castle.  Then  imagining  that  Herr  von  Poseneck 
was  growing  impatient,  he  took  his  leave,  turned  in  the  direc- 
tion that  had  been  pointed  out  to  him,  and  was  soon  out  of 
sight. 

"  Are  you  angry  with  me,  dearest  Celia?"  Kurt  asked  so 
soon  as  this  was  the  case. 

"  Why  should  I  be  angry  with  you  ?" 

"  I  could  not  help  it ;  I  had  to  decide  on  the  instant  what 
to  do,  and  it  was  only  by  presenting  you  as  my  betrothed  to 
the  Assessor  that  I  could  prevent  him  from  speaking  of 
having  seen  us." 

"  And  why  should  I  be  angry  with  you  ?  It  was  perfectly 
natural ;  you  only  said  what  we  have  both  long  known.  I 
am  glad  you  said  it ;  I  only  wish  I  could  t^ll  my  dear  kind 


'  i-'Ti  ^r^  '^J^-;^-.-  T.^ST--^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  201 

father  how  very,  very  happy  I  am.  But,"  she  added,  with  a 
little  sigh,  "  it  would  not  do, — it  would  not  do  at  all ;  he  would 
be  terribly  angry,  for  he  does  not  know  you,  Kurt,  does  not 
know  how  dear  and  good  you  are,  and  if  I  should  tell  him 
we  were  betrothed  he  never  would  give  his  consent.  Anna 
must  help  us.  I  will  tell  her  everything  to-day;  she  has 
more  influence  than  any  one  else  over  him,  and  she  will  con- 
trive to  have  you  come  to  Hohenwald, — she  is  so  good  and 
so  wise !" 

Kurt  shook  his  head  doubtfully,  but  he  could  not  shake 
Celia's  confidence  in  Anna's  power  over  the  old  Baron. 
Meanwhile  it  had  grown  late  ;  they  had  been  together  much 
longer  than  usual.  Pluto  was  evidently  impatient;  still, 
Celia  had  more  to  say  than  ever  before.  Kurt  put  her  on 
her  horse  again,  and,  when  she  begged  him  to  turn  back  with 
her  for  a  little  way,  walked  slowly  beside  her  along  the  broad 
forest  road. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Lucie's  resolve  was  a  hard  one.  Castle  Hohenwald  was 
to  her  as  a  home.  The  thought  of  leaving  Celia  and  the  old 
Freiherr  gave  her  intense  pain,  but  it  must  be  done, — she 
could  not  stay.  She  had  written  her  letter  to  Ad61e  with 
feverish  haste,  almost  immediately  after  Amo  had  left  her ; 
but  now  that  it  lay  before  her  sealed  and  addressed  she  hesi- 
tated to  despatch  it.     She  shrank  from  so  decisive  a  step. 

Did  stem  duty  really  require  of  her  to  leave  this  loved 

asylum  and  brave  the  world  again  and  the  danger  of  Repuin's 

persecution  ?     Here  she  was  safe  both  from  the  Russian  and 

from  Sorr ;  both  the  old  Freiherr  and  Amo  would  extend 

I* 


202  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

protection  to  her,  and  must  she  give  it  all  up  just  because 
Arno  loved  her  ?  No  ;  not  for  that.  Had  she  been  sure  of 
her  own  heart  she  might  have  remained.  She  had  not  felt 
the  need  of  fleeing  from  Werner's  distasteful  devotion. 

But  Arno  !  She  had  summoned  up  strength  to  utter  the 
words  that  annihilated  his  hopes;  but  she  felt  that  in  so 
doing  she  had  almost  exhausted  her  self-control.  Could  she 
hjive  withstood  his  pleading  a  moment  longer  ?  Even  while 
writing  to  Ad^le  the  thought  would  not  be  banished  from 
her  mind  that  she  was  actually  free,  bound  by  no  obligation 
to  the  wretch  who  himself  on  that  terrible  night  had  sun- 
dered the  tie  that  had  linked  her  to  him  ! 

But  could  he  sunder  it  ?  No  ;  it  must  still  remain  a  brazen 
fetter  chaining  her  to  her  unworthy  husband,  although  she 
were  forever  parted  from  him.  As  she  had  herself  said,  her 
marriage  could  not  be  dissolved ;  she  was  free  only  in  spirit, 
— only  the  death  of  the  dishonoured  thief  could  make  it  pos- 
sible for  her  to  form  another  tie. 

Her  heart  rebelled  against  so  unnatural  a  chain  ;  but  cool 
reason  told  her  that  she  could  not  disregard  it  without  dis- 
honour. Sorr's  wife  must  not  listen  to  Arno's  words  of 
affection  ;  if  she  could  not  slay  within  her  the  love  she  now 
knew  that  he  had  awakened  there,  he  must  never  know  it. 

The  sealed  letter  trembled  in  her  hand ;  if  it  were  to  be 
sent  it  must  go  instantly.  From  her  window  Lucie  saw  al- 
ready saddled  and  standing  in  the  court-yard  the  horse  upon 
which  the  groom  was  to  take  the  daily  mail  from  the  castle 

to  A .     Frau  Kaselitz  stood  upon  the  steps  just  about  to 

close  the  post-bag.  One  minute  more  and  it  would  be  too 
late.  A  day  at  least  would  be  gained,  a  day  for  reflection, 
and  a  day,  too,  of  imminent  peril,  a  day  in  which  Arno  might 
repeat  his  protestations,  his  entreaties ! 

She  hastily  threw  open  the  window.  "  Wait  one  moment, 
Frau  Kaselitz ;  I  have  a  letter  to  go  !"  she  called  out  into 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  203 

the  court-yard,  and  then  hurried  down  the  great  staircase 
to  the  hall-door.  She  could  not  trust  herself,  and  it  was 
only  when  she  had  seen  the  groom  gallop  away  bearing  her 
letter  with  him  that  she  breathed  freely  again. 

The  die  was  cast,  and  she  could  think  clearly  and  calmly. 
Her  strength  of  will  returned,  and  she  knew  that  she  could 
brave  any  struggle  which  the  next  few  days  might  bring  her. 
She  had  regained  the  calm  self-control  that  would  enable  her 
to  fulfil  her  duties  towards  the  Freiherr  and  Celia  during  the 
time  she  should  yet  remain  in  the  castle,  and  this  fulfilment 
should  instantly  be  put  into  action.  Celia  should  suspect 
nothing  during  lesson-hours  of  the  mental  agony  that  had 
so  tortured  her  teacher. 

But  where  was  Celia  ?  She  had  not  made  her  appearance, 
although  the  time  had  long  passed  at  which  she  usually  re- 
turned from  her  afternoon  ride.  Lucie  inquired  of  old  John, 
who  was  on  his  way  to  the  stables,  and  learned  that  Fraulein 
Celia  was  still  out  in  the  forest.  She  never  had  stayed  so  late 
before,  the  old  man  added  ;  indeed,  she  had  had  time  to  ride 
up  and  down  the  broad  forest  road  to  Griinhagen  at  least 
twenty  times.  Of  course  that  was  where  she  was ;  she  al- 
ways rode  there.  John  could  not  see  why  she  never  tired 
of  that  road.  Lucie  was  not  ill  pleased  to  hear  that  the  girl 
was  still  in  the  forest :  she  longed  for  its  cool  depths ;  and 
since  John  assured  her  that  she  could  not  fail  to  meet  Frau- 
lein Celia,  she  determined  to  go  in  search  of  her.  She  de- 
clined John's  attendance,  for  she  felt  perfectly  secure  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  castle.  Quickly  tying  on  her  hat  she  sallied 
forth. 

Her  walks  hitherto  had  never  extended  beyond  the  castle 
garden  and  the  park.  This  was  her  first  flight  into  the 
'•  forest  depths,"  from  which  the  castle  took 'its  name.  She 
gazed  in  wonder  at  the  mighty  oaks  and  beeches.  Around 
her  brooded  the  mystery  of  the  primeval  forest ;  in  the  vi- 


204  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

cinity  of  the  castle  no  axe  had  rung  a  discord  in  the  poetry 
of  woodland  life.  The  deep  silence,  broken  only  by  the  low 
notes  of  the  woodland  birds,  harmonized  with  Lucie's  mood  ■ 
she  sauntered  dreamily  along  the  path,  passing  in  mental  re- 
view the  events  of  the  day,  and  particularly  the  struggle 
with  herself,  in  which — and  there  was  a  measure  of  content 
in  the  consciousness — she  had  come  off  conqueror. 

Lost  in  thought,  she  almost  forgot  that  she  had  come  out 
iX)  look  for  Celia  ;  her  gaze  wandered  unconsciously  over  the 
wealth  of  foliage  on  every  side  of  her.  She  did  not  ob- 
serve, when  she  had  reached  the  loneliest  part  of  the  forest, 
a  solitary  stranger  walking  towards  htr,  and  hastening  hi.<» 
steps  with  every  sign  of  amazement  upon  seeing  her. 
Not  until  he  had  approached  her  very  nearly  did  she  look 
up  and  start  in  terror.  Could  she  believe  her  eyes  ?  The 
Assessor  von  Hahn,  whose  element  was  fashionable  society, 
here  alone  in  the  woodland  solitude  ?  She  could  not  be  de- 
ceived ;  the  Assessor  stood  before  her  as  elegant  as  if  bound 
upon  a  round  of  morning  visits,  staring  at  her  out  of  his 
wide  blue  eyes,  and  twirling,  as  was  his  wont  when  startled 
or  ffarprised,  his  flaxen  moustache ;  it  was  indeed  Herr  von 
Hahn  as  large  as  life. 

The  good  Assessor  was  no  less  startled  than  was  Lucie. 
"  Is  it  possible  ?"  he  exclaimed ;  "  am  I  awake  or  dream- 
ing ?  Frau  von  Sorr  here  in  the  forest !  This  is  a  surprise 
indeed, — a  most  agreeable  surprise  of  course.  I  am  enchanted 
to  meet  you,  madame." 

As  he  spoke  he  held  out  his  hand,  and  Lucie  was  obliged 
to  place  her  own  within  it  and  to  allow  him  to  kiss  it ;  she 
could  not  show  him  how  unwelcome  was  his  presence  here. 
Of  all  her  former  acquaintances  she  would  have  preferred  to 
have  almost  any  one  invade  her  retirement  rather  than  the 
gossiping  Assessor,  but  she  could  not  let  him  perceive  this ; 
she   banished   all  surprise   and   terror   from   her   face   and 


CASTLE  EOUENWALD.  205 

Baid.  not  unkindly,  "  A  most  unforeseen  meeting.  I  never 
should  have  expected  to  find  you  in  this  remote  comer  of 
Saxony,  Herr  von  Hahn." 

"  My  presence  here  is  easily  explained,  madame.     I  have 

been   transferred   to   A ,  and,  as  there  is  scarcely  any 

society  in  the  tiresome  little  town,  I  beguUe  my  leisure  by 
visits  to  the  neighbouring  gentry.  I  am  at  present  enjoying 
the  Amtsrath  Friese's  hospitality,  in  Griinhagen,  and  was  just 
taking  a  woodland  walk.  But  you,  madame, — how  happens 
it  that  I  meet  you  here?  You  must  be  living  either  at 
Griinhagen  or  in  Castle  Hohenwald.  Oh,  I  see,  I  see.  My 
cousin,  the  old  Freiherr,  has  overcome  his  antipathy  to  your 
charming  sex  and  has  admitted  into  his  household  a  governess 
for  my  lovely  cousin  Celia.  You  are  this  governess  of  course. 
This  is  why  you  vanished  so  suddenly  from  the  face  of  the 
earth.  It  must  be  so ;  my  keen  perception  has  penetrated 
the  mystery.  I  do  not  boast,  for  keenness  of  perception  is 
one  of  the  gifts  of  nature,  and  her  gifts  are  variously  be- 
stowed, but  I  possess  it.     Confess,  madame,  that  I  am  right." 

The  Assessor,  who  had  now  succeeded  in  twirling  the  ends 
of  his  moustache  into  two  long  thin  points,  stayed  the  torrent 
of  his  words  for  a  moment  to  regard  Lucie  with  a  triumphant 
look  of  inquiry. 

What  should  she  reply  ?  Chance  had  revealed  to  him  her 
retreat  in  Castle  Hohenwald;  he  now  knew  too  much  to 
admit  of  his  not  being  told  more.  She  dreaded  his  loquacity, 
but  perhaps  he  might  be  induced  to  curb  it  if  she  appealed  to 
his  honour.  And,  besides,  he  need  keep  silence  only  for  a 
short  time ;  in  a  few  days  she  hoped  her  friend  Ad61e  would 
have  provided  another  refuge  for  her,  and  then  the  good  As- 
sessor's love  of  gossip  could  do  no  harm.  "  Your  keen  per- 
ception has  not  been  at  fault,  Herr  Assessor,"  she  replied.  "  I 
live  in  Castle  Hohenwald  as  governess  to  Fraulein  Celia  von 
Hohenwald,  but  I  need  hardly  tell  you  that  in  order  to  obtain 

18 


206  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

such  a  situation  I  have  been  obliged  to  change  my  name 
The  consequences  would  be  disastrous  to  me  if  any  one  in 
Castle  Hohenwald  should  leam  my  real  name,  and  still  more 
?o  if  any  one  save  yourself,  Heir  Assessor,  whom  I  trust 
implicitly,  should  suspect  that  I  have  taken  refuge  in  Castle 
Hohenwald.  Your  perceptions  are  too  keen  to  make  any 
explanations  necessary  as  to  the  painful  circumstances  that 
have  driven  me  thus  to  change  my  name  and  to  take  refuge 
in  the  deepest  seclusion.  1  rely  upon  your  honour,  and  am 
convinced  that  you  will  not  abuse  the  knowledge  you  have 
gained  by  accident,  and  that  you  will  mention  to  no  one  our 
meeting  to-day." 

The  Assessor  bowed  profoundly,  feeling  immensely  flat- 
tered. He  seized  Lucie's  hand  and  kissed  it  with  fervour, 
"  Your  gratifying  confidence  is  not  misplaced.  I  swear  it  by 
my  honour !"  he  exclaimed,  his  hand  on  his  heart.  "  I  will 
be  torn  limb  from  limb  sooner  than  that  Herr  von  Sorr  or 
Count  Repuin  or  any  enemy  of  yours,  dear  madame,  shall 
ieam  where  you  have  found  an  asylum.  Rely  upon  me, 
madame,  and  if  you  should  need  counsel  or  aid  I  am  always 
at  your  service." 

"  Thank  you,  Herr  von  Hahn.  I  knew  I  could  trust  you, 
and  therefore  I  have  bestowed  upon  you  my  entire  confidence. 
If  I  need  your  assistance  I  shall  certainly  apply  to  you,  but 
at  present  I  ask  only  your  silence  and  your  forgiveness  for 
concluding  this  interview ;  I  must  not  be  seen  in  your  so- 
ciety." 

"I  understand  and  respect  your  wishes, -madame;  1  am 
discreet ;  I  make  no  boast  of  it,  but " 

"  I  know  it,  Herr  Assessor,  and  I  thank  you  for  it.  But 
before  we  part  let  me  ask  one  question.  Have  you  encoun- 
tered upon  this  road  a  young  lady  on  horseback  ?" 

"  Ah,  you  mean  my  fair  cousin,  Celia  von  Hohenwald." 

"  Do  you  know  Celia?" 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  207 

"  Certainly ;  that  is,  I  have  seen  her." 

"  Did  you  meet  her  ?" 

The  question  was  a  simple  one,  and  yet  it  confiised  the 
Assessor.  He  remembered  Herr  von  Poseneck's  words  and 
felt  very  uncomfortable.  True,  he  had  not  been  told  not  to 
mention  meeting  Celia.  Kurt's  prohibition  had  borne  refer- 
ence only  to  his  betrothal,  but  he  had  expressly  declared  that 
he  should  call  the  Assessor  personally  to  account  for  any 
indiscretion,  and  Herr  von  Poseneck  seemed  to  be  a  man 
very  likely  to  keep  his  word.  Would  he  not  consider  it  an 
indiscretion  to  direct  Frau  von  Sorr  to  where  she  would  find 
the  lovers  together?  He  would  not  run  any  risk,  and  so 
answered  with  some  hesitation,  "  I  really  do  not  know,  ma- 
dame  ;  I  hardly  remember " 

"  Whether  you  have  met  Celia  in  the  forest  ?  You  can 
hardly  have  forgotten  it." 

"  Certainly  not,  but — some  one  is  coming.  You  desire  that 
we  should  not  be  seen  together ;  I  hasten  to  comply  with  your 
wishes.     Adieu,  madame !" 

He  bowed  very  low,  glad  to  have  any  pretext  for  his 
flight,  and  walked  away  so  quickly  that  he  was  in  danger  of 
overlooking  the  group  of  mighty  oaks  near  which  was  the 
by-path  to  which  Kurt  had  directed  him.  Fortunately,  he 
discovered  it  in  time  and  was  soon  lost  to  sight. 

Lucie  looked  after  him,  at  a  loss  to  understand  his  conduct. 
Why  should  he  find  such  difficulty  in  answering  her  simple 
question  with  regard  to  Celia,  and  hurry  away  in  such  con- 
fusion ?  He  must  have  seen  Celia ;  why  not  say  so  ?  She 
quickened  her  pace  and  soon  reached  a  turning-point  in  the 
road  that  opened  a  long  vista  before  her.  Here  her  glance 
instantly  encountered  Celia,  who  was  riding  slowly  towards 
her,  attended  by  Kurt,  whom  Lucie  instantly  recognized, 
having  seen  him  upon  the  evening  of  her  arrival  at  Castle 
Hohenwald.     Celia  held  her  bridle  negligently  in  her  left 


i:  -^  ■^i1''fT^^:if:^S^!*^!^^^ 


208  CASTLE   nOHENWALD. 

hand ;  her  right  was  clasped  in  that  of  Kurt,  towards  whom 
she  was  leaning,  talking  so  earnestly  that  at  first  she  did  not 
perceive  Lucie,  who  stood  still  transfixed  with  astonishment. 

This,  then,  was  the  reason  of  the  Assessor's  mysterious 
behaviour ;  this  was  the  explanation  of  Celia's  devotion  to 
her  daily  rides  in  the  forest. 

Pluto  was  the  first  to  become  aware  of  Lucie's  presence ; 
he  tossed  his  head  and  neighed ;  this  attracted  Celia's  atten- 
tion, and  she  perceived  her  friend.  "  Anna !"  she  exclaimed 
in  a  tone  of  delighted  surprise,  in  which  there  was  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  terror.  She  withdrew  her  hand  from  Kurt's 
and  urged  her  horse  to  where  her  friend  stood.  "  Anna,  my 
darling  Anna  !"  she  said,  tenderly.  "  I  am  so  rejoiced  to  see 
you  !  Now  you  shall  learn  all.  Kurt  himself  can  tell  you  all 
about  it.  Yes,  Kurt,  tell  Anna  everything, — how  we  first 
came  to  know  each  other,  that  we  are  betrothed,  and  that 
nothing  now  can  separate  us  ;  tell  her,  too,  what  you  told  me 
awhile  ago  of  Werner.  Ah,  how  glad  I  am  that  chance  has 
brought  you  two  together !  Now,  Kurt,  you  will  know  my 
dearest  Anna,  and  will  see  how  wise  it  is  to  confide  in  her 
absolutely.  Adieu,  my  darling  Anna!  Au  revoir,  dear 
Kurt !" 

She  kissed  her  hand  to  Lucie  and  Kurt,  then  gathered  up 
her  reins  and  galloped  towards  the  castle. 

Lucie  looked  after  her  very  gravely.  She  was  inexpressibly 
pained  by  the  discovery  she  had  so  unexpectedly  made.  It 
had  never  occurred  to  her  that  Celia,  gay,  innocent,  frank  child 
that  she  seemed,  could  be  engaged  in  any  secret  love-affair ; 
she  would  have  rejected  any  such  idea  with  indignation. 

And  yet  here  was  the  proof.  She  felt  grieved  and  ashamed  ; 
grieved  because  she  had  believed  herself  possessed  of  Celia's 
entire  confidence,  and  ashamed  that  her  care  of  her  pupil  had 
been  so  negligent  that  the  girl  had  been  able  to  deceive  her 
from  the  first  day  of  her  arrival  at  Hohenwald. 


T" 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  209 

Her  anger,  however,  was  not  for  Celia,  but  for  Kurt ;  Celia 
was  an  inexperienced  child,  who  did  not  and  could  not  know 
the  peril  of  such  secret  entanglements ;  Kurt's  was  all  the 
blame. 

It  was  therefore  a  very  stem  and  forbidding  look  with 
which  she  received  Kurt,  who  approached  her  with  some  em- 
barrassment in  his  greeting.  He  knew  that  her  judgment  of 
him  could  hardly  be  a  favourable  one.  She  had  seen  him  but 
once,  when  his  courtesy  in  proffering  assistance  and  his  whole 
air  and  manner  had  made  a  very  pleasant  impression  upon 
her,  an  impression  in  which  she  had  been  strengthened  by 
what  she  had  learned  of  him  from  the  Finanzrath  and  from 
Ad^le's  letters.  Even  now,  as  she  looked  at  him  with  severe 
scrutiny,  she  could  not  but  admit  to  herself  that  his  appearance 
was  greatly  in  his  favour.  He  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  hand- 
some, his  features  were  not  perfectly  regular ;  but  his  coun- 
tenance was  frank  and  manly  in  expression,  his  fine  eyes  were 
honest  and  true,  and  about  the  firm  mouth  there  were  lines 
that  betokened  great  gentleness  and  kindliness  of  nature. 
Lucie  easily  understood  how  a  young  man  of  so  pleasing  an 
exterior  could  win  the  heart  of  the  inexperienced  Celia,  who 
was  debarred  all  society,  and  her  indignation  was  the  deeper 
that  Kurt  should  have  so  unscrupulously  used  his  power  over 
an  innocent  child. 

"  You  will  have  the  goodness,  Herr  von  Poseneck,  to  give 
me  the  explanation  to  which  Celia  has  just  alluded,"  she  said, 
gravely  and  sternly. 

Kurt  bowed,  and  not  without  some  conftision,  for  his  con- 
science was  not  quite  clear,  he  replied  :  "  You  have  a  right, 
Fraulein  Miiller,  to  ask  this  explanation  of  me,  and  I  give  it 
you  the  more  readily,  since  my  betrothed  was  about  to  give 
you  her  entire  confidence  this  very  evening.  Even  without 
this  chance  meeting  you  would  have  learned  ham  her  what 
you  are  now  to  learn  from  me." 
0  18* 


■  .■^arop 


210  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Your  betrothed?"  Lucie  repeated  the  words  with  shaip 
emphasis.  "  Your  betrothed  ?  Are  you  not  aware,  Herr  von 
Poseneck,  that  a  child  of  sixteen  cannot  be  betrothed  without 
her  father's  consent  ?  So  far  as  I  know,  the  Freiherr  von 
Hohenwald  has  not  given  his  paternal  consent  to  your  be- 
trothal to  his  daughter,  nor  will  he,  for  reasons  with  which 
you  doubtless  are  familiar,  ever  be  likely  to  do  so." 

"  You  condemn  me  without  hearing  me  !"  Kurt  said,  sadly. 

"  I  have  heard  from  Celia  and  from  you  that  you  are  be- 
trothed to  my  pupil,  although  you  know  that  the  Freiherr  is 
hostile  to  your  family,  and  that  you  can  never  hope  for  his 
consent.  Was  it  right,  was  it  honorable,  that  you,  a  man  of 
ripe  knowledge  of  the  world,  should  induce  a  young,  innocent 
girl,  almost  a  child,  to  grant  you  private  meetings  in  the  forest, 
and  finally  to  betroth  herself  to  you  against  her  father's  will  ?" 

"  You  are  right,  Fraulein  Mtiller ;  I  cannot  deny  it ;  I  have 
often  said  just  the  same  thing  to  myself;  but  my  heart  was 
stronger  than  my  head.  I  hope,  however,  that  you  will  judge 
me  less  severely  when  you  have  heard  that  I  came  to  know 
Celia  by  chance,  and  that  my  love  for  her  soon  grew  to  a  con- 
suming passion  that  was  beyond  heeding  the  sage  suggestions 
of  reason.  Only  grant  me  a  short  interview ;  I  promise  you 
that  I  will  be  absolutely  frank  with  you.  Will  you  not  hear 
me?" 

Lucie  consented,  and  the  short  interview  ended  in  a  long 
conversation  between  the  two  as  they  slowly  paced  to  and 
fro  in  the  woodland  road. 

Kurt  kept  his  promise  to  be  entirely  frank  and  candid  ;  ho 
began  with  his  first  accidental  meeting  with  Celia,  who  had 
won  his  heart  at  once,  although  he  had  determined  that  he 
would  entertain  for  her  only  brotherly  friendship.  He  de- 
scribed eloquently  how  this  love  had  grown  within  him,  until 
he  had  been  carried  away  by  it  so  far  as  to  reveal  it  to  Celia, 
and  how  he  had  been,  as  it  were,  forced  by  the  Assessor's 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  211 

intrusion  to  utter  the  decisive  word  that  betrothed  them  on 
this  very  day.  He  went  on  to  tell  Lucie  how  he  had  agreed 
with  Celia  that  she  was  to  acquaint  her  dearest  friend  with 
their  secret,  and  ask  her  for  aid  and  counsel ;  that  he  had 
at  first  been  resolved  to  go  to  the  old  Freiherr  and  confess 
everything  to  him,  but  that  he  had  been  deterred  from  doing 
so  by  Celia's  entreaties  and  representations.  He  informed 
Lucie  of  all  that  he  had  heard  with  regard  to  Werner's  schemes, 
and  of  the  danger  threatening  the  Freiherr,  adding  that  Celia 
looked  to  her  to  aid  in  averting  it.  "  And  now,"  he  said,  in  con- 
clusion, "  you  know  everything.  Judge  for  yourself  whether 
I  am  as  culpable  as  you  thought  me  at  first.  I  confess  that  my 
only  excuse  is  my  passionate  affection  for  my  darling  Celia." 
Lucie  did  not  reply  immediately, — she  pondered  well  upon 
all  that  Kurt  had  said ;  his  candour  and  integrity  she  could 
not  doubt, — truth  shone  in  his  eyes ;  she  could  not  help  be- 
lieving him.  "  I  cannot  approve  your  conduct,"  she  said, 
after  a  long  silence,  "but  neither  will  I  judge  you  too 
harshly.  What  is  done  cannot  be  undone ;  we  can  do  nothing 
with  the  past,  but  I  demand  that  you  atone  in  the  future, 
as  far  as  in  you  lies,  for  the  wrong  you  have  committed. 
There  must  be  an  end  to  these  meetings  with  Celia;  this 
you  must  promise  me, — this  duty  you  must  frdfil,  how- 
ever hard  it  may  seem  to  you.  Do  not  answer  me  imme< 
diately,  but  reflect.  I  know  that  at  this  moment  you  think 
it  impossible  to  comply  with  my  demand;  nevertheless  it 
must  be  done.  You  must  have  sufficient  self-control  to  enable 
you  to  resign  a  fleeting  moment  of  happiness.  If  you  love 
Celia  truly  and  honestly,  and  would  not  separate  her  from 
her  father,  you  must  sacrifice  thus  much  for  her  sake.  You 
ought  not  to  see  Celia  again  unless  by  the  Freiherr's  consent. 
If  you  promise  me  this,  Herr  von  Poseneck,  I  will  promise 
you  to  do  all  that  I  can  to  influence  the  Freiherr  in  your 
favour.     I  will  try  to  combat  his  unjustifiable  hatred  of  you; 


r-     I    -     J  *^    '^  - 


212  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

I  will  be  silent  with  regard  to  what  I  have  seen  to-day,  al- 
though it  is  perhaps  my  duty  to  put  him  on  his  guard.  Will 
you  make  me  the  promise  that  I  ask,  Herr  von  Poseneek  ?" 

"  Can  I  make  it  ?  Would  not  Celia  doubt  my  faith  and 
aifection  if  she  should  not  find  me  in  the  forest  at  the  accus- 
tomed hour  ?" 

"  Celia  will  never  again,  while  I  am  at  Castle  Hohenwald, 
ride  in  the  forest  alone,  and  she  shall  learn  from  me  with 
what  a  heavy  heart  you  make  the  sacrifice  to  your  love 
which  I  have  asked  of  you.  It  is  very  likely  that  she,  too, 
will  rebel  against  this  sacrifice,  and  will  blame  both  you  and 
me  ;  but  this  consideration  ought  not  to  deter  you  from  doing 
your  duty ;  thus  only  can  you  enable  me  to  keep  silence  to 
the  Freiherr,  who,  if  he  should  learn  now,  without  any  prep- 
aration, that  his  daughter  is  secretly  betrothed  to  a  Poseneek, 
never  would  forgive  you  !" 

"  You  demand  an  impossibility !"  Kurt  replied.  "  I 
cannot  make  a  promise  which  I  may  be  forced  to  break. 
If  Celia  should  call  me,  should  need  my  help,  should  I  not 
hasten  to  her  aid  ?  And  how  easily  this  might  happen ! 
Am  I  not  Celia's  natural  protector  ?  You  know  what  danger 
threatens  the  Freiherr  through  the  Finanzrath's  intrigues ; 
if  he,  with  his  two  sons,  should  be  placed  under  arrest,  to 
whom  could  Celia  turn  for  aid  and  counsel  ?  Ought  I  then, 
bound  by  a  promise,  to  refuse  her  this  aid  ?     I  could  not !" 

"  Nor  do  I  ask  this.  Your  promise  is  not  to  be  held 
binding  in  so  extreme  a  case.    Give  it  me  with  this  condition." 

"  You  are  very  cruel." 

"  I  am  only  doing  my  duty,  and  requiring  that  you  should 
do  yours." 

Lucie's  firmness  conquered,  and  Kurt  submitted  after  much 
hesitation.  He  could  not  but  admit  to  himself  that  Lucie 
was  right,  and  that  in  her  influence  with  the  Freiherr  lay  his 
only  hope  for  the  future.     He  gave  the  required  promise. 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  213 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Away  into  the  open  air,  to  field  or  forest,  wherever  na- 
ture offers  solitude  !  This  was  Amo's  thought ;  he  longed 
to  be  alone,  to  collect  himself,  after  the  fearftil  blow  he  had 
received.  He  crossed  the  court-yard  and  hurried  through 
garden  and  park  into  the  depths  of  the  forest.  Arrived 
there,  where  he  felt  sure  of  encountering  no  one,  he  threw 
himself  down  upon  the  moss-carpet  at  the  foot  of  a  giant 
oak.  The  quiet  soothed  him;  he  needed  it  to  aid  him  to 
control  the  storm  of  emotion  within  him.  What  had  he 
just  undergone  ?  To  his  humiliation  he  had  been  harshly 
rejected, — rejected  in  a  manner  that  wounded  his  pride  as 
well  as  his  heart.  What  folly  his  former  suspicions  of  Anna 
had  proved  to  be !  He  had  preserved  towards  her  a  cold 
and  chilling  demeanour  to  convince  her  that  her  feminine 
arts  to  attract  him  were  vain.  How  she  must  have  smiled  at 
the  silly  vanity  for  which  he  was  now  paying  so  dearly  I  And 
he  had  asked  for  so  little,  for  only  one  ray  of  hope,  only  for 
permission  to  love  her,  and  even  this  she  had  coldly  and 
firmly  denied  him.  He  had  thought  his  heart  desolated  by 
the  deceit  from  which  he  had  suffered  years  before,  but  the 
contrary  was  proved  in  the  bitter  pain  that  now  tortured 
him.  He  loved,  and  she  whom  he  loved  scorned  his  affec- 
tion. Was  her  heart  no  longer  free  ?  Did  she  love  another  ? 
She  had  denied  this  ;  but  could  he  believe  her  ?  He  remem- 
bered all  that  Werner  had  told  of  her,  that  she  had  been  be- 
trothed and  forsaken  by  her  lover  when  her  father's  wealth 
bad  vanished.  Could  she  still  cling  to  one  so  worthless? 
No ;  it  was  impossible.  She  must  despise  such  a  man,  and 
flhe  was  too  noble  to  give  affection  where  she  could  not  esteem. 


:'  MAaJ.ia^i^i^'^iiB^ 


rt!'*^-' 


214  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Had  Werner's  studied  attentions  produced  any  impression 
upon  her  ?  No ;  her  tone,  in  speaking  of  him,  had  been 
that  of  contempt ;  she  saw  through  him, — he  never  could 
toucli  her  heart.  And  yet  how  could  "  duty  and  honour," 
of  which  she  had  spoken,  demand  that  she  should  reject  for- 
ever a  genuine  devotion,  and  that  she  should  declare,  "  We 
must  part  forever !"  The  claim  of  another  upon  her  affection 
could  alone  make  it  her  duty  to  refuse  to  listen  to  his  protesta- 
tions. The  thought  was  torture.  He  could  endure  every- 
thing save  that.  He  was  a  prey  to  a  savage  jealousy  of  this 
unknown  who  robbed  him  of  all  that  could  make  life  fair, 
and  he  had  to  force  himself  to  reflect  that  he  had  not  an 
atom  of  foundation  for  this  jealousy,  which,  nevertheless,  he 
could  not  crush  out  of  his  heart.  There  it  was,  and  it  would 
assert  itself,  laughing  to  scorn  the  arguments  of  sober  reason. 

The  sun  was  low  in  the  heavens  when  Arno  was  roused 
from  his  long  brooding  reverie  by  the  crackling  of  the  under- 
brush, caused  as  he  thought  by  some  animal  making  its  way 
through  the  thicket.  But  no  ;  in  a  few  moments  there 
emerged  upon  the  open  space,  in  the  midst  of  which  stood  the 
giant  oak  at  whose  feet  he  was  reclining,  Hauk,  the  chief 
inspector  of  the  Hohenwald  estate. 

The  man  was  much  surprised  at  encountering  thus  his  young 
master,  whom  he  had  never  supposed  to  be  addicted  to  day- 
dreams in  the  depth  of  the  forest,  and  he  evidently  reflected 
that  his  presence  here,  instead  of  in  the  fields  superintending 
the  labourers,  might  seem  strange  to  Baron  Arno.  He  ap- 
proached him,  hat  in  hand,  with  an  air  of  some  embarrasa- 
ment.  "  I  beg  pardon  for  disturbing  you,  Herr  Baron,"  he 
said,  "  but  I  never  dreamed  of  finding  you  here." 

"  True,  Herr  Hauk,"  Arno  replied,  recalled  to  the  actual 
world  by  the  Inspector's  presence,  "  nor  could  I  have  expected 
to  find  you  here  instead  of  in  the  fields." 

The  Inspector's  embarrassment  was  increased  by  the  re- 


~- '^i^?"- " ■''?   ' ■  .■  ^         "■  •  f*^-*-.'>'^  ^TIJIB'    ~'*^       >  '       •*'^«1>     «  "i'!y?f5P5S5?5- ♦ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  215 

proof  conveyed  in  the  young  Baron's  words ;  and  it  suddenly 
seemed  to  him  that  the  reasons  for  which  he  had  undertaken 
bis  walk  through  the  forest  were  mere  folly.  "  I  beg  pardon, 
Herr  Baron,"  he  said,  meekly,  "  I  should  not  have  left  my 
work  with  the  men,  but  I  saw  Herr  von  Poseneck  again,  and 
I  wanted  to  know  what  the  young  gentleman  is  after  on  our 
land.  Something  must  be  wrong  when  a  Poseneck  trampp 
about  our  forest !" 

"  You  are  dreaming.  Inspector !"  Amo  rejoined,  harshly. 
"  What  could  bring  Herr  von  Poseneck  to  Hohenwald  ?  Glo 
back  to  your  men,  and  refrain  from  woodland  rambles  while 
harvesting  is  going  on." 

The  Inspector  had  never  before  received  so  stem  a  rebuke 
from  the  young  Baron,  and  the  faithfrd  fellow  felt  a^rieved. 
"  Of  course,  if  the  Herr  Baron  orders  it  I  will  return  imme- 
diately, but  it  is  a  pity  that  I  should  not  discover  what  Herr 
von  Poseneck  is  continually  after  in  our  forest  Still,  it  is 
no  business  of  mine  why  he  is  sneaking  here,  if  the  Herr 
Baron  does  not  care  about  it." 

Amo's  curiosity  was  aroused ;  he  had  thought  at  first  that 
the  man's  story  was  an  invention  to  cover  his  neglect  of  duty, 
but  he  now  saw  clearly  that  he  had  wronged  Hauk,  who  had 
been  a  faithful  servant  for  many  years.  Therefore,  in  a  much 
gentler  tone,  he  asked,  "  What  is  it  you  are  saying  about  Herr 
von  Poseneck?     Explain  your  meaning,  Hauk." 

"  I  mean  only,  if  the  Herr  Baron  will  excuse  me,  what  I 
say.  Young  Herr  von  Poseneck,  who  lives  at  Griinhagen 
with  the  Amtsrath,  has  been  for  a  long  time  sauntering  about 
in  our  forest  every  day ;  what  he  is  after  I  do  not  know,  but 
since  he  is  a  Poseneck,  it  can  be  no  good.  He  usually  takes 
the  path  along  the  Griinhagen  boundary,  and  gets  into  the 
forest  that  way  ;  but  to-day  I  saw  him  hurry  directly  across 
the  Hohenwald  meadow.  Early  in  the  spring,  Kunz,  who 
was  ploughing  near  the  Griinhagen  boundary,  saw  him  do 


:  Y^^^S^^^'j-  ;W! 


216  CASTLE  nOHENWALD 

just  the  same  thing.  I  watched  him  enter  the  forest  to-day 
with  my  own  eyes,  and  I  came  through  it  from  the  other  side, 
thinking  to  strike  the  very  path  he  must  have  taken,  and 
catch  my  fine  gentleman  in  the  act,  if,  as  I  suspect,  he  is  at 
any  poaching  work." 

This  was  a  strange  piece  of  news.  It  waa  folly  to  sus- 
pect Kurt  von  Poseneck  of  poaching ;  the  idea  was  begotten 
in  the  Inspector's  mind  by  the  universal  mistrust  of  the 
Posenecks  that  was  rife  among  the  Hohenwald  tenantry  and 
servants ;  still  Arno  wondered  iihat  could  bring  the  young 
gentleman  daily  to  the  Hohenwald  forest,  and  he  thought  the 
matter  called  for  an  explanation.  "  Ar-^.  you  sure,  Hauk,  that 
you  are  not  mistaken  in  the  man  ?" 

"  Perfectly  sure,  Herr  Baron  ;  besides,  all  the  men  at  work 
saw  him  as  well  as  myself." 

"  Strange  !  And  you  say  that  he  has  been  in  the  habit  for 
some  time  of  wandering  about  in  our  forest  daily  ?" 

"  Yes,  Herr  Baron  ;  he  has  often  been  seen,  mostly  by  the 
women  when  they  were  gathering  sticks,  but  they  said  nothing 
about  it,  for  they  themselves  were  on  forbidden  ground." 

"  Mere  old  women's  gossip  then  !" 

"  No,  Herr  Baron ;  the  forester  has  seen  him  too,  but  he 
did  not  speak  to  him,  because  the  Freiherr  has  ordered  us  to 
avoid  all  quarrels  with  the  Griinhageners ;  and  Kunz  saw 
him,  as  I  said,  long  ago." 

"  Long  ago  ?     That  is  very  vague.     How  long  ago  ?" 

"  I  cannot  tell  exactly,  but  it  must  have  been  about  the 
time  that  Fraulein  Miiller  came  to  Hohenwald,  for  Kunz  waa 
with  the  Herr  Baron  that  night  in  the  quarry,  and  he  told 
me  shortly  afterwards  that  he  had  seen  young  Herr  von 
Poseneck  cross  our  field  to  the  forest ;  that  he  had  not  been 
sure  it  was  he  until  he  saw  him  that  night  in  the  quarry ; 
but  that  then  he  was  perfectly  certain  of  him.  So  he 
must  have  been  seen  first  about  that  time,  and  since  then 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  217 

scarcely  a  day  has  passed  that  he  has  not  been  seen  by  some 
of  the  people  in  the  wood." 

Arno's  brow  darkened.  Kurt  was  no  poacher,  but  he 
thought  he  had  discovered  the  reason  for  his  walks  in  the 
Hohenwald  forest.  Following  the  path  by  which  he  had 
been  seen  to  enter  it,  he  would  reach  the  lake  in  the  park, 
upon  the  shore  of  which,  hidden  among  the  shrubbery,  was 
b  bench,  whence  there  was  a  lovely  view  of  the  little  sheet 
of  water.  This  spot  was  a  favourite  one  with  Fraulein  Anna 
Miiller.  Whenever,  as  was,  to  be  sure,  but  rarely  the  case, 
she  walked  in  the  park  during  Celia's  absence  upon  her  after- 
noon ride,  this  bench  was  always  her  goal,  for  she  knew  that 
even  Werner  would  not  venture  to  intrude  upon  her  there. 
Her  reason  for  seeking  this  retreat  was  now  plain,  as  was 
also  Kurt's  attraction  for  the  Hohenwald  forest. 

And  yet  Anna  had  said  that  her  heart  was  free !  Could 
she  lie  ?  Why  had  she  not  frankly  confessed  the  truth  ? 
He  would  have  had  no  right  to  blame  her;  her  avowal 
would,  indeed,  have  pained  him,  but  the  pain  would  have 
been  easier  to  bear  than  distrust  of  her.  He  suffered  in 
the  thought  that  she  was  no  better  than  the  rest,  that  she 
could  descend  to  a  falsehood  when  the  happiness  of  a  man 
who  loved  her  devotedly  was  at  stake. 

"  Is  it  the  Herr  Baron's  commands  that  I  should  return  to 
the  harvesters  ?" 

The  Inspector's  question  aroused  Amo  from  his  confrised 
Imaginings.  "  Yes,  Herr  Hauk,"  he  said,  with  hardly-won 
composure.  "  You  had  best  do  so."  Then  seeing  the  man's 
discontented  expression,  he  added,  "  I  will  myself  endeavour 
to  encounter  Herr  von  Poseneck,  but  I  do  not  desire  any  one 
to  spy  upon  his  movements.  Let  him  walk  as  much  as  he 
pleases  in  the  Hohenwald  forest ;  I  am  sure  that  no  ill  will 
towards  us  brings  him  here,  and  I  will  not  have  him  inter- 
fered with.  Tell  this  to  the  people,  Hauk,  and  bear  in  mind 
K  19 


218  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

what  I  say.  My  father's  desire  that  all  disputes  with  the 
Griinhageners  shall  be  avoided  must  be  strictly  complied  with. 
Good-afternoon,  Hauk." 

"  As  you  please,  Herr  Baron,"  the  Inspector  replied,  with 
a  bow,  as  he  took  his  departure. 

Long  after  he  was  gone  Amo  stood  leaning  against  the 
trunk  of  the  oak,  uncertain  what  to  do.  Was  Kurt  at  this 
very  moment  perhaps  seated  beside  Anna  on  the  bench  near 
the  lake?  Jealousy  impelled  him  to  discover  whether  his 
suspicions  were  correct.  In  vain  did  he  represent  to  himself 
that  he  had  no  right  to  spy  upon  Anna's  actions.  He  strode 
through  the  wood  and  soon  reached  tht  borders  of  the  broad 
Hohenwald  forest  road,  which  he  was  obliged  to  cross  in  order 
to  reach  the  lake.  Here,  as  he  was  making  his  way  through 
the  bushes  that  lined  it  on  either  side,  he  heard  a  voice  that 
thrilled  him  ;  it  was  Anna's.  He  could  not  distinguish  what 
she  said,  nor  the  words  of  the  reply,  which  was  given  in 
clear,  manly  tones.  He  cautiously  proceeded  a  few  steps 
farther,  until,  parting  the  bushes,  he  obtained  a  clear  view  of 
the  broad  road.  His  worst  fears  were  confirmed :  Kurt  and 
Anna  were  slowly  walking  along  it  engaged  in  earnest  conver- 
sation. They  approached  the  spot  where  Amo  stood  con- 
cealed ;  a  few  more  steps  and  he  should  hear  every  word  that 
was  said,  for  they  did  not  suspect  a  listener  near.  For  a 
single  instant  a  wild  desire  possessed  Amo  to  penetrate  Anna's 
mystery ;  he  leaned  forward  as  far  as  was  possible  without 
discovering  himself,  but  the  next  moment  he  rose  superior  to 
the  disgraceful  temptation.  His  cheek  flushed  at  the  thought 
that  he  had  been  deaf  though  but  for  an  instant  to  the  dictates 
of  honour.  Silently  and  hastily  he  withdrew,  moderating  his 
pace  only  when  he  could  no  longer  hear  the  sound  of  voices. 
As  he  returned  to  the  castle  he  felt  that  although  he  had 
heard  nothing  he  had  seen  enough. 

Lucie  parted  from  Kurt  as  his  friend,  and  as  she  slowlj 


rj<-^-jf^5j3^7f5ig|^jFj-?^-  -        t-        ■'-;^V  ■■«;'■  ."_rif3-'';vs??-^;-:   -:■.•■:  ^_    .      ~   '■  ■■■^■~iS^^'^-:'- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  219 

walked  back  to  the  castle  she  reflected  upon  the  perils  en- 
compassing the  people  who  had  become  so  dear  to  her.  She 
pondered  how  to  put  the  Freiherr  upon  his  guard  without 
betraying  Celia's  secret,  and  how  at  the  same  time  to  influ- 
ence the  old  man  to  relinquish  his  foolish  prejudice  against 
Kurt.  She  could  hardly  warn  him  directly,  but  could  it  not 
be  done  indirectly  through  Werner,  perhaps?  K  she  should 
inform  the  Finanzrath  that  his  connection  with  Repuin  and 
other  French  agents  was  no  longer  a  secret,  that  his  move- 
ments were  watched,  that  he  was  in  danger  of  arrest,  and  that 
his  presence  in  Castle  Hohenwald  imperilled  the  safety  of 
his  father  and  brother, — ^if  she  begged  him  to  leave  the  castle, 
would  he  not  comply  with  her  advice  ? 

Celia  hastened  to  meet  her  friend ;  she  had  not  been  able 
to  remain  within-doors.  Arrived  at  the  castle,  the  girl  threw 
Pluto's  bridle  to  old  John  and  hurried  to  her  room  to  change 
her  dress,  thinking  that  she  would  await  Anna  in  their  sit- 
ting-room ;  but,  although  the  windows  there  were  all  wide 
open,  the  confinement  seemed  to  stifle  her ;  she  wanted  air, 
— not  the  air  of  park  or  garden,  but  that  of  the  cool,  fragrant 
forest.  As  she  issued  from  the  gate  of  the  court-yard  and  was 
just  about  to  turn  into  the  broad  forest  road  she  encountered 
Amo,  and  was  hurrying  past  him,  longing  to  see  Anna  and  hear 
what  she  had  said  to  Kurt,  when  he  detained  her,  saying 
sternly,  "  Where  are  you  going  ?" 

"  That  is  not  your  aflFair,"  she  pertly  answered  her  brother's 
harsh  question.  "  I  might  as  well  ask  you,  Where  have  you 
been?" 

"  I  have  been  in  the  forest." 

"  And  I  am  going  to  the  forest." 

She  would  have  passed  him,  but  he  still  detained  her. 
"  Do  you  usually  select  this  road  for  your  afternoon  ride  ?" 

Celia  blushed.  What  did  he  mean  by  the  question  ?  Did 
Amo  know  anything  of  her  meetings  with  Kurt  ?     With  feiii> 


220  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

inine  evasion  she  hastily  rejoined,  "  Why  should  I  alwayi 
choose  this  tiresome  broad  road  ?" 

"  Why,  indeed  ?  How  long  since  you  returned  from  your 
ride?" 

"  About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ago,"  she  answered,  frankly. 

"  And  did  you  ride  on  the  broad  road  to-day  ?" 

"  What  a  foolish  question  !  Let  me  go,  Arno  !  How  can 
it  possibly  interest  you  when  or  whore  I  ride  ?" 

But  Arno  still  held  her  hand  fast,  seeming  not  to  notice 
her  embarrassment.  He  gazed  darkly  down  the  forest  road. 
If  Celia  pursued  it  she  would  meet  Kurt  and  Anna  together. 
Such  a  discovery  would  be  but  a  merited  punishment  for 
Anna,  but  what  impression  would  it  produce  upon  his  inno- 
cent sister  ?  A  second  glance  along  the  road  reassured  him, 
— Anna  was  slowly  approaching  the  castle  alone.  He  let  go 
Celia's  hand,  relieved  of  an  ugly  dread  lest  Anna  should  have 
confided  to  her  pupil  her  love-aflPair  with  Poseneck.  That 
Celia  knew  nothing  about  it  was  clear  from  her  replies  to 
him  ;  the  "  will-o'-the-wisp"  was  so  frank  a  creature. 

So  soon  as  she  found  herself  free,  Celia  ran  towards  Anna, 
bestowing  not  another  thought  upon  Arno,  who  went  his  way. 
Throwing  her  arms  around  her  friend,  she  whispered,  as  she 
caressed  her  tenderly,  "  At  last  you  are  come  !  My  darling, 
darling  Anna !  Now  all  is  well,  and  my  conscience  is  once 
more  clear." 

"  You  ought  to  have  had  confidence  in  me,"  Anna  said, 
in  a  tone  of  gentle  reproof. 

"  Oh,  I  have  often  said  that  to  myself.  I  have  repeatedly 
determined  to  tell  you  all,  but  I  was  so  afraid  lest  you  would 
be  angry,  and  perhaps  forbid  my  meeting  Kurt,  and  so — I 
cannot  live  without  just  saying  a  few  words  to  him  every 
day." 

"  You  must  try  it,  my  dear  Celia ;  you  must  not  meet 
Herr  von  Poseneck  in  the  forest  again." 


'W!^  -     ■  ■  V    ■■^"^^«*fF*"S^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  221 

"  I  thought  you  would  say  that !"  Celia  exclaimed.  "  I 
knew  it,  but  you  are  mistaken  if  you  think  I  shall  obey  you. 
I  am  not  a  child  ;  I  know  what  I  am  doing.  Kurt  is  my 
betrothed,  and  I  have  a  right  to  meet  him.  But  no,  Anna 
dear,  I  will  not  be  angry  with  you,  only  do  not  ask  that  of 
me.  If  you  think  it  wrong  for  me  to  see  Kurt  alone  in  the 
for(;st, — and  I  have  sometimes  been  afraid  that  it  was, — 
then  come  with  me  ;  we  have  no  secret  from  you ;  only  you 
must  not  ask  me  not  to  see  him  again, — I  cannot  obey  you : 
and  if  you  will  not  go  to  the  forest  with  me  I  must  go  by 
myself" 

"  It  will  be  of  no  use.  Herr  von  Poseneck  has  promised 
me  that  he  will  not  meet  you  in  the  forest  again." 

"  That  \a  detestable  of  you, — detestable !"  Celia  exclaimed, 
indignantly.  She  had  been  so  utterly  unused  to  control  that 
she  was  really  angry,  and  it  was  only  after  a  long  and  grave 
explanation  upon  Lucie's  part  that  the  girl  was  brought  to  see 
that  her  friend's  counsel  was  dictated  by  the  truest  motives 
and  an  earnest  desire  for  her  happiness.  At  last,  however, 
she  agreed  to  be  guided  entirely  by  her  "  darling  Anna,"  and 
the  compact  was  sealed  with  a  kiss. 

Relieved  to  have  been  successful  with  Celia,  Lucie  now 
applied  herself  to  the  second  task  she  had  undertaken,  and, 
instead  of  entering  the  castle,  turned  into  the  garden,  where 
the  Finanzrath  was  usually  to  be  found  towards  evening. 

"  Are  we  going  to  the  garden  ?"  Celia  asked,  surpriaed. 
"  We  cannot  talk  together  there,  for  Werner,  as  you  know, 
will  instantly  join  us,  and  we  shall  not  be  able  to  get  rid  of 
him." 

"  I  am  going  purposely  to  meet  him  this  afternoon," 
Lucie  replied,  "  and  I  beg  you  to  leave  me  with  him  when  h<» 
joins  us." 

"  Have  you  more  secrets  with  him  ?"  Celia  asked,  fretfully. 

"  I  must  speak  with  him,"  was  Lucie's  calm  reply.     "  I 

19* 


222  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

promised  Herr  von  Poseneck  to  warn  your  father  of  the 
danger  that  threatens  him.  I  cannot  do  this  dii'ectly,  since 
I  cannot  say  whence  comes  my  information." 

"And  you  are  going  to  warn  him  through  Werner?"  the 
girl  asked,  shaking  her  head.  "  Don't  attempt  it,  Anna 
dear ;  you  do  not  know  Werner, — he  will  not  believe  you ; 
he  thinks  he  knows  more  than  any  one  else.  Do  not  have 
any  confidences  with  Werner ;  speak  to  Amo, — he  is  true 
and  trustworthy ;  he  will  find  a  means  to  put  papa  on  his 
guard  and  to  force  Werner  to  go  away." 

"  I  must  speak  with  the  Finanzrath,"  Lucie  insisted ;  "  do 
not  try  to  dissuade  me,  dear  child ;  I  cannot  help  it." 

Celia  said  no  more ;  she  silently  accompanied  Lucie  into 
the  garden,  and  walked  beside  her  along  the  winding  paths 
until,  as  had  been  foreseen,  Werner  joined  them,  when  she 
lingered  behind  to  pluck  a  flower,  and  then,  turning  into  a 
side-path,  left  her  brother  and  her  friend  to  themselves. 

Werner  greeted  Lucie  after  his  usual  smooth,  courteous 
fashion ;  but  she  interrupted  the  flow  of  his  complimentary 
speeches  by  saying,  in  a  very  grave  tone,  "  Our  meeting  this 
afternoon,  Herr  Finanzrath,  is  owing  to  no  chance.  I  came 
into  the  garden  expressly  to  find  you,  for  I  have  an  important 
communication  to  make  to  you." 

Werner's  attention  was  aroused ;  Lucie  frankly  admitted 
that  she  had  come  in  search  of  him.  What  could  she  have 
to  tell  him  ?  And  Celia  had  evidently  left  them  together  in- 
tentionally. She  could  have  done  so  only  by  Lucie's  desire. 
A  secret  hope  that  his  endeavours  to  obtain  the  beautiftd 
woman's  favour  were  about  to  prove  more  successftd  flashed 
across  his  vain  soul,  but  vanished  as  he  looked  into  his  com 
panion's  grave  and  even  stern  face.  "  I  am  extremely  happy, 
madame,  in  receiving  this  proof  of  your  confidence,"  he  said. 
"  and  await  with  eagerness  what  you  have  to  tell  me." 

"  It  is  of  no  agreeable  nature,"  Lucie  went  on ;  "  but  I  wiU 


■'rj^-i^r-v  /■.'ri'^^'*H^'-:si  v^jp'?t^^l.^-3i', '"-'i:^'^?!"'*      "-*-"«<-  ■'^  *"*'-^i^;^?BS^    ^~  ■  >    ..  -   -  ■--•"^j'-^*T^;^-jsjM4^r 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  223 

gu  directly  to  the  point.  You  are  in  great  peril,  Herr  Finans* 
rath ;  your  connection  with  Count  Bepuin  has  aroused  sus- 
picion that  you  are  of  the  number  of  French  agents  who 
are  at  work  here,  in  the  interest  of  the  French  Emperor, 
endeavoring  to  effect  the  dissolution  of  the  treaty  that  unites 
the  South  German  states  and  those  of  the  North  German 
alliance,  with  Prussia,  and  who  are  plotting  against  Prussia 
among  the  people  as  well  as  in  the  army," 

Werner  stayed  his  steps  and  looked  searchingly  into  Lucie's 
face.  His  cheek  grew  a  trifle  paler,  and  his  voice  was  not 
quite  so  firm  and  clear  as  usual,  as  he  replied,  with  forced 
composure,  "  Your  information  is  indeed  startling,  madame ; 
I  am  excessively  grateful  to  you  for  it,  but  you  must  permit 
me  one  question.  Whence  comes  your  knowledge  that  so 
foolish  and  ungrounded  a  suspicion  attaches  to  me  ?" 

"  There  are  all-sufficient  reasons,  Herr  Finanzrath,  why  I 
cannot  answer  your  question  and  reveal  to  you  the  source  of 
my  information,  but  I  can  assure  you  that  my  warning  is  sent 
you  by  a  sincere  friend  of  yours  and  of  your  family,  who  is  well 
aware  of  the  necessity  for  it.  But  let  me  proceed,  and  then 
you  can  judge  for  yourself  of  the  magnitude  of  the  peril  men- 
acing you." 

"  I  am  all  ear,  madame." 

There  was  a  dash  of  contempt  in  his  tone,  and  Lucie  saw 
that  her  refusal  to  mention  the  source  of  her  information  had 
shaken  his  belief  in  its  truth ;  but  she  went  on  quietly  :  "  The 
suspicion  of  which  I  have  told  you,  whether  it  be  well  founded 
or  not " 

"  Do  you  doubt  me,  madame  ?" 

"  I  have  no  right  to  form  an  opinion,  and  there  is  no  reason 
why,  if  formed,  I  should  express  it.  Of  course,  since  you 
declare  the  suspicion  unfounded,  I  have  no  choice  but  to  be- 
lieve you ;  nevertheless,  it  exists,  and  it  attaches  not  only  to 
you,  but  to  your  father  and  brother.     The  authorities  arc 


f'V-.^^"P^^'^'i'^  j»-;^T!l^vqn 


224  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

convinced  that  your  relatives  know  of  your  schemes,  and  aid 
and  abet  them,  and  that  Castle  Hohenwald  is  a  centre  foi 
treasonable  plots  and  conspiracies.  The  castle  is  already 
under  surveillance ;  how  strict  this  is  I  cannot  say,  nor  whether 
it  extends  to  the  letters  sent  from  here,  but  I  know  that  it 
exists,  and  that  the  authorities  have  it  in  mind  to  crush  any 
treasonable  scheming  before  it  becomes  dangerous,  by  the  arrest 
of  the  entire  Hohenwald  family.  I  think,  Herr  Finanzrath, 
that  under  these  circumstances  you  will  see  that  you  owe  it 
both  to  your  family  and  to  yourself  to  leave  the  castle  as  soon 
as  possible.  Your  presence  here  imperils  your  father's  safety. 
He  will,  on  the  other  hand,  be  left  undisturbed,  though  not 
unobserved,  if  you,  the  cause  o?\h\s  groundless  suspicion,  absent 
yourself  from  Castle  Hohenwald  for  a  while.  Your  father's 
age  and  infirmity,  his  seclusion  from  the  world,  will  shield 
him  from  all  annoyance  as  soon  as  you  are  away,  since  it 
certainly  must  be  the  aim  of  the  authorities  to  avoid  exciting 
indignation  in  Saxony  by  any  useless  arrests.  This  is  all  that 
I  had  to  say  to  you,  Herr  Finanzrath.  I  hope  that  my  well- 
meant  warning  will  eflFect  its  purpose,  and  that  you  will,  by  a 
speedy  departure  from  Castle  Hohenwald,  both  protect  your 
relatives  from  the  danger  of  arrest  and  insure  your  own 
safety." 

Werner  had  listened  in  silence,  an  evil  sneer  playing  about 
his  lips  the  while.  "  Then  my  departure  from  Castle  Hohen- 
wald is  the  purpose  of  your  communication,  madame  ?"  he 
asked,  watching  Lucie  with  keen  scrutiny. 

"  It  is  ;  I  confidently  hope  that  your  departure  will  remove 
all  danger." 

"  Indeed  ?  You  are  extremely  kind.  I  really  cannot  bo 
sufficiently  grateful  to  you  for  your  care,  but  I  must  pray  you 
to  fill  the  measure  of  your  kindness  by  telling  me  to  what 
good  friend  you  owe  your  information,  which  has  the  air  of 
proceeding  directly  from  the  Chancellor  himself,  if,  indeed,  it 


s^jwllissrv  '  ''•  'ji-;:''— !--    -        -  ■  -    '  ■--■•.- %tsi,^. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  225 

be  not  the  fabrication  of  an  idle  fancy  or  of  a  well-laid 
scheme." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  Herr  Finanzrath,"  Lucie  asked, 
amazed.  "  Do  you  really  imagine  I  could  wish  to  deceive 
you?" 

"  Let  me  beg  you  again  for  the  name  of  your  informant." 

"  Let  me  repeat  that  I  cannot,  or  rather  will  not,  give  it  to 
you  ;  you  have  no  right  to  demand  it  of  me." 

"  I  do  not  demand  it,  madame ;  I  do  not  even  desire  it, 
but  perhaps  you  will  allow  me  to  mention  it  to  you  myself." 

''  You  cannot  know  it !" 

"  But  I  can  guess  it.  I  see  through  the  game  that  is 
playing  with  me.  Have  a  care,  madame,  that  the  bow  is  not 
too  tensely  bent ;  the  string  might  break." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you." 

"  Then  I  must  speak  more  clearly.  You  shall  have  your 
will  and  understand  perfectly.  Yours  be  the  consequences 
of  allowing  me  a  glimpse  into  your  heart, — of  ruthlessly  anni- 
hilating my  fairest  hopes.  You  shall  not  escape  unpunished 
from  the  intrigue  which  you  have  spun  to  drive  me  from 
Castle  Hohenwald." 

Werner's  eyes  flashed  fire  and  his  cheek  was  crimson  as  he 
spoke.  His  agitation  Lucie  could  not  understand,  and  it  ter- 
rified her.  She  had  never  seen  the  calm,  easy  Finanzrath 
thus  moved.  "  You  speak  in  riddles,  Herr  Finanzrath,"  she 
said,  looking  frankly  in  his  face.  "  I  do  not  understand  your 
anger.  What  do  you  mean  by  your  threat,  and  by  accusing 
me  of  intriguing  to  drive  you  from  Castle  Hohenwald  ?" 

"  Am  I  not  yet  sufficiently  clear  ?"  Werner  continued,  even 
more  angrily.  "  Do  you  still  imagine  you  can  deceive  me  ? 
You  are  mistaken.  I  see  through  your  game.  You  choose 
that  I  should  speak  it  out  plainly  ?  Well,  then,  so  be  it !  I  am 
weary  of  the  restraint  that  I  have  put  upon  myself  for  months 
I  will  no  longer  be  your  plaything  I  I  have  loved  you  pas- 
p 


■  ^^fs^yp'^^^''^'^r^'^^^^ 


sw^S^*!9 


226  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

sionately  since  the  day  when  I  brought  you  to  the  castle ;  to 
win  your  love  in  return  was  my  highest  aim  in  life,  my 
fondest  hope " 

"  I  must  not  listen  to  you.  I  must  leave  you  I"  Lucie 
exclaimed,  indignantly. 

"  You  must  listen ;  I  will  force  you  to  hear  me  I"  Werner 
declared. 

"  You  are  mad  !" 

''  You  have  made  me  so.  Thank  yourself  that  my  passion 
asserts  itself,  that  I  cast  aside  the  fetters  that  have  bound  me 
for  months.  As  long  as  I  hoped  to  win  your  love  1  endured 
their  restraint ;  now,  since  I  see  through  your  schemes,  I 
will  do  so  no  longer.  I  suspected  it  all  long  since.  I  have 
often  told  myself  that  you  were  but  playing  with  my  love, 
but  never  until  now  did  I  know  it  surely.  Do  you  think  1 
have  been  blind, — that  I  have  slumbered  through  these  long 
weeks  ?  No,  jealousy  has  spurred  me  on  to  constant  watch- 
fulness ;  not  a  look  exchanged  between  Amo  and  yourself  has 
escaped  me.  I  have  been  insane  with  jealousy  when  you 
were  alone  with  him  in  the  library,  but  I  would  not  believe 
that  you  could  prefer  him  to  me,  and  so  I  deceived  myself 
and  you  deceived  me.  You  may  well  desire  my  absence.  I 
could  by  a  single  word  put  a  stop  to  all  your  loving  dalliance. 
Amo  is  your  informant ;  he  would  thrust  from  his  path  the 
brother  in  whom  he  suspects  a  rival,  and  he  thinks  to  drive 
me  away  by  the  threat  of  an  imaginary  danger.  Fool !  I 
Bee  through  his  game." 

Lucie  listened  in  blank  amazement  to  the  accusations  thus 
heaped  upon  her,  which,  in  their  suddenness  and  strangeness, 
bewildered  her  comprehension.  Was  this  Werner,  the  pol- 
ished, easy  man  of  fashion,  confronting  her  now  with  angry 
eyes  and  laying  bare  before  her  the  inmost  secrets  of  his  soul  ? 
What  should  she  reply  to  so  disgracefiil  an  attack  ?  A  con- 
temptuo'is  silence  was  all  that  it  deserved.     And  she  wa£ 


tXT-."^'   •  .,^-,-,,  ,-.      ,     -  ...j.,,,,,,^,^^-^^,,.,,,^,,..  . -,..  .  '••:■  v^jjjj^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  227 

silent,  but  this  Werner  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  confession ; 
he  thought  she  waa  trembling  at  his  anger  and  unable  to 
reply.  He  laughed  scornfully,  and  continued,  "  Am  I  suf- 
ficiently clear  now,  madame?  Now  you  know,  I  imagine, 
that  you  can  no  longer  deceive  me.  You  are  right  not  to 
attempt  it  by  any  denial.  One  thing,  however,  you  have 
forgotten,  that  I  know  your  past,  and  that  one  word  from  me 
can  put  an  end  to  your  brief  dream  of  love.  My  precious 
brother  is  an  idealist  who  might  indeed  bestow  his  heart  upon 
Celia's  poor  governess,  the  lovely  Anna  Mtiller,  but  who  would 
turn  with  aversion  and  disgust  from  the  runaway  wife  of  Herr 
von  Sorr !  Hitherto  I  have  kept  your  secret  faithftiUy,  but 
I  might  easily  be  tempted  to  forget  to  do  so  in  future.  Herr 
von  Sorr  has  not  resigned  his  rights ;  he  is  still  searching  for 
you,  and  it  is  owing  to  my  silence  alone  that  he  is  not  now 
here  asserting  those  rights  in  defiance  of  which  you  would 
vainly  seek  protection  from  Amo.  Your  safety  here  you  owe 
only  to  the  love  which,  spite  of  all  the  offence  it  has  received 
at  your  hands,  still  glows  within  me,  a  consuming  flame.  Have 
a  care  that  you  do  not  convert  it  to  hatred,  Frau  von  Sorr. 
Continue  to  reject  my  devotion,  to  play  with  my  jealousy,  and 
you  shall  bitterly  repent !" 

Not  a  word  could  Lucie  utter.  Amazement,  shame,  and 
indignation  overwhelmed  her.  Werner  no  longer  awaited  a 
reply ;  he  left  her  not  as  was  his  wont  with  a  low  bow,  but 
with  head  proudly  erect,  hurrying  towards  the  castle,  and  not 
even  looking  back  at  her  whom  he  had  so  insulted.  He  did 
not  see  the  intense  scorn  and  disgust  expressed  in  her  face 
as  she  gazed  after  him,  nor  hear  the  word  "  wretch  1"  that 
passed  her  lips  as  slie  did  so. 


.  ■,. '  V. ,  ■■.^^ffrv;^vcB^lgr^J!^!^!l^^Ji/J!t,'^ifm. 


?»p;5!spsf.'  'W 


228  CASTLE   HOHENWALD. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

For  a  few  moments  after  leaving  Lucie  Werner's  features 
wrore  a  smile  of  triumph ;  he  thought  the  proud  beauty  sub- 
dued and  terrified  by  his  threats ;  but  when  he  reached  his  own 
apartment,  and  had  time  for  reflection,  he  felt  by  no  means 
so  sure  of  his  victory.  As  his  excitement  subsided  he  be- 
came greatly  discontented  with  himself,  and  bitterly  regretted 
having  yielded  to  one  of  the  outbursts  of  passion  which  had 
cost  him  dear  in  his  boyish  years,  but  which  he  had  lately 
learned  to  control.  Pacing  his  room  to  and  fro,  he  pondered 
upon  the  occurrences  of  the  past  hour.  While  in  Lucie's  pres- 
ence, rage  at  the  thought  of  his  brother's  successful  rivalry 
had  bewildered  his  understanding ;  he  could  not  think  clearly. 
Reason  had  returned,  and  he  confessed  to  himself  that  he  had 
played  the  part  of  a  jealous  fool.  His  brother  was  no  in- 
triguer, his  ways  were  never  those  of  a  schemer.  But  whence, 
if  not  from  Amo,  could  Fraulein  Miiller  have  received  her 
information  ?  She  saw  no  one  but  the  inmates  of  the  castle, 
and  she  had  lately  received  no  letters,  as  no  one  knew  better 
than  Werner,  who  distributed  the  letters  from  the  post-bag 
every  morning.  He  grew  very  uncomfortable ;  Lucie  had 
known  of  his  acquaintance  with  Repuin,  and  she  had  now 
learned  of  what  nature  this  acquaintance  was ;  she  still  main- 
tained a  correspondence  with  influential  people  in  Prussia, 
Ad^le  von  Gunti;am,  President  von  Guntram's  daughter,  was 
her  most  intimate  friend,  and  any  information  forwarded  to 
them  would  soon  reach  the  Chancellor's  office. 

The  longer  the  Finanzrath  reflected  the  more  grave  did 
the  situation  appear  to  him.  Vague  pictures  of  an  exami- 
nation of  his  papers,  of  an  arrest,  and  possible  trial  for  higlr 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  229 

treason  presented  themselves  to  his  imagination.  Finally,  he 
seated  himself  at  his  writing-table,  and  thought  he  would 
write  to  inform  Repuin  of  what  he  had  heard.  This,  how- 
ever, proved  to  be  by  no  means  an  easy  task ;  he  could 
scarcely  do  it  without  implicating  Lucie,  and  should  he  men- 
tion her  relations  with  Ad^le  von  Guntram  the  Russian's 
suspicions  would  surely  be  aroused ;  he  would  make  his  ap- 
pearance at  the  castle  with  Sorr,  who  would  enforce  his  marital 
rights.  Should  this  occur,  Lucie  would  be  restrained  by  no 
considerations  from  betraying  him.  At  present  she  would 
feel  obliged  to  have  some  regard  for  the  man  who  knew  her 
secret  and  held  her  fate  in  his  hands.  He  tore  up  his  letter 
to  Repuin,  and  decided  to  attempt  to  avert  in  another  way 
the  danger  that  menaced  him.  Lucie  was  not  implacable ; 
she  had  no  reason  for  bringing  distress  upon  the  Hohenwald 
family  by  betraying  him ;  only  a  desire  for  revenge  or  to  de- 
fend herself  from  attack  coxdd  prompt  her  to  do  this ;  he  would 
ask  her  pardon  for  expressions  used  in  the  heat  of  passion, 
and  would  not  allow  his  love  for  the  beautifril  woman  or  his 
jealousy  to  carry  him  so  far  again.  Soothed  by  these  reflec- 
tions, Werner  began  to  look  to  the  future  with  confidence. 

What  now  ?  Lucie  had  asked  herself,  when  left  alone  in  the 
castle  garden.  To  answer  this  question  was  not  easy.  Suppose 
that  Werner,  impelled  by  anger  and  jealousy,  should  discover 
her  retreat  to  Count  Repuin,  would  not  her  best  course  be 
to  leave  the  castle  immediately,  and  await  in  some  secluded 
village  the  result  of  Ad^le's  e£Forts  to  procure  her  another 
situation?  The  thought  of  the  consequences  of  Werner's 
betrayal  of  her  secret  filled  her  with  horror.  What  if  Sorr, 
summoned  by  the  Finanzrath,  should  appear  at  the  castle  and 
require  her  to  return  to  him!  She  felt  sure  that  the  old 
Freiherr  would  grant  her  his  protection,  but  what  would  it 
avail  her  against  her  husband !  And  Amo  ?  Lucie's  heart 
died  within  her  as  she  thought  of  the  pain  that  a  knowledge 


230  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

of  her  secret  would  cause  him.  Nothing  was  left  her  but  a 
hurried  flight.  But  no,  she  would  not  leave  Hohenwald ; 
had  she  not  promised  Kurt  and  Celia  to  use  her  influence  with 
the  old  Freiherr  to  induce  him  to  forget  the  wretched  feud 
with  the  Posenecks  ?  Could  she  disappoint  Celia's  confidence 
in  her  by  forsaking  her  at  her  need,  in  selfish  care  for  her 
own  safety  ?  Would  not  Kurt  in  that  case  have  a  right  to 
recall  the  promise  he  had  given  her  ?  And  what  mischief 
might  ensue !  No,  it  was  her  sacred  duty  to  watch  over 
Celia;  she  would  not  leave  the  castle  for  some  time  yet 
But  she  had  written  to  Ad^le  begging  her  to  procure  another 
situation  for  her  as  soon  as  possible.  The  letter  had  gone ; 
should  she  not  write  another  and  revoke  her  request? 

In  the  midst  of  her  uncertainty,  Celia,  who  had  seen  from 
her  window  that  Werner  had  returned  to  the  castle,  joined  her 
again,  eager  to  know  the  result  of  the  interview  with  her 
eldest  brother.     "  Well  ?"  she  asked. 

"  You  were  right,  I  ought  not  to  have  spoken  to  your 
brother,"  Anna  replied ;  "  he  does  not  believe  me.  I  cannot 
tell  you  more,  Celia ;  it  is  enough  that  my  appeal  to  him  waa 
quite  in  vain." 

"  I  knew  how  it  would  be,"  the  girl  said,  sadly ;  "  I  wish 
you  had  taken  my  advice,  but  it  is  not  yet  too  late.  Let  me 
call  Amo ;  he  is  in  his  room,  I  saw  him  go  to  it ;  he  will  be 
here  in  a  few  minutes.  Indeed,  dear  Anna,  Arno  has  the 
best  heart  in  the  world.  He  is  not  so  amiable  and  agreeable 
as  Werner,  he  cannot  pay  compliments,  but  you  can  rely 
upon  him.  I  have  often  watched  him  when  he  thought  no 
one  was  observing  him,  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  he  likes  you 
very  much.  He  will  believe  you,  and  soon  devise  some  way 
of  shielding  our  dear  old  father  from  danger.  Do  speak  with 
Amo,  dearest  Anna.     Let  me  call  him.     May  I  ?" 

"  Yes ;  I  will  await  him  here." 

Celia's  gratitude  was  shown  by  a  fervent  kiss,  and  she  flew 


^ttPW^'' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  231 

towards  the  castle,  returning  in  a  few  moments  with  Amo, 
whose  hand  she  held  in  hers. 

"  Here  he  is !"  she  exclaimed  as  she  approached  Anna. 
"  Only  think,  the  miserable  fellow  refused  to  come  at  first. 
Scold  him  well,  Anna  dear ;  although  he  does  look  so  grim, 
h^  is  really  dear  and  good.  There,  he  is  smiling ;  now  you 
n^d  not  be  afraid  of  him.     Adieu !" 

And  she  was  gone,  tossing  a  kiss  to  her  fiiend  as  she  van- 
ished  in  the  shrubbery. 

The  smile  which  her  merry  talk  had  called  forth  faded 
from  Amo's  grave  face  as  he  bowed  formally  to  Lucie.  "  I 
await  your  commands,  Fraulein  Miiller,"  he  said.  "  You 
must  forgive  my  momentary  hesitation  to  follow  my  sister.  I 
thought  her  jesting  when  she  told  me  you  wished  to  speak 
with  me." 

"  Celia  was  not  jesting,  Herr  Baron.  I  requested  an  in- 
terview with  you,  and  I  thank  you  for  complying  with  my 
wishes." 

A  low  bow  was  Amo's  only  reply. 

Lucie  had  thought  it  would  be  easier  to  begin  a  conversation 
with  Amo.  As  he  now  walked  beside  her,  grave  and  serious, 
without  smoothing  the  way  for  the  opening  of  their  talk  by 
a  single  word,  she  felt  exceedingly  uncomfortable.  Her  last 
words  to  him  in  the  library  had  deeply  offended  him,  as  was 
evident  from  the  formality  of  his  manner.  She  had  de- 
termined  to  make  no  allusion  to  their  previous  interview; 
but  how  could  she  help  it  ?  And  she  longed  to  say  one  kind 
word  to  him. 

"  You  are  angry  with  me,  Herr  Baron,"  she  began,  and 
her  fair  face  flushed  slightly  ;  she  could  not  look  up  at  him 
as  she  spoke, — her  eyes  sought  the  ground.  "  I  regret  deeply 
if  what  I  was  forced  to  say  to  you  offended  you.  I  did  not 
mean  that  it  should.  It  was  my  duty  to  tell  you  the  perfect 
•ruth ;  If  I  did  this  too  harshly,  I  pray  you  not  to  be  angry 


,.  ;  Tfi-ir^J^-]^^'?^^ 


232  CASTLE  HOUENWALD. 

with  me.  I  told  you  to-day  that  your  words  would  dij^e 
me  from  Castle  Hohenwald ;  I  was  overhasty.  After  calm 
consideration,  I  have  decided  not  to  go  away.  I  know  that 
Baron  Arno  von  Hohenwald  is  too  proud  and  too  noble  t^j 
repeat  words  that  could  pain  me  ;  I  know  that  although  1 
was  forced  to  offend  him,  he  will  still  be  my  friend.  May  1 
not  cherish  this  conviction,  Herr  Baron  ?" 

As  she  spoke  the  last  words  Lucie  looked  up  at  Amo  and 
held  out  her  hand,  but  he  did  not  take  it.  He  replied,  coldly 
and  with  a  low  bow,  "  You  are  very  kind,  Fraulein  Miiller. 
I  am  glad  that  you  do  me  justice ;  I  am,  indeed,  too  proud 
ever  again  to  intrude  upon  you  after  the  harsh  rejection  I  have 
experienced.  I  assure  you  that  you  shall  never  hear  from  me 
a  word  that  could  cause  you  to  leave  Hohenwald  sooner  than 
you  would  otherwise  intend.  May  I  hope  that  this  assurance 
is  satisfactory  to  you,  and  that  you  will  inform  me  to  what  I 
owe  the  honour  of  this  interview  ?" 

Lucie  slowly  let  fall  her  hand ;  Amo's  cold  refusal  to  take 
it,  and  his  measured  politeness,  convinced  her  that  she  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  him,  and  yet  she  was  not  glad  that  he 
was  thus  able  to  command  his  feelings ;  his  cold  words 
grieved  her.  But  he  must  not  suspect  this ;  she  forced  her 
composure  to  equal  his  own  as  she  explained  to  him  that  she 
had  a  duty  to  fulfil  towards  the  Freiherr  and  himself  in  tell- 
ing him  of  the  warning  sent  to  them  from  a  perfectly  trust- 
worthy source.  His  brother's  plots  were  discovered,  Castle 
Hohenwald  was  under  surveillance,  and  such  suspicion  rested 
upon  his  father  and  himself  of  sharing  in  the  Finanzrath's 
schemes  that  they  were  threatened  with  arrest.  "  I  trust 
you,  Herr  Baron,"  Lucie  concluded,  "  to  devise  means  for 
averting  the  threatened  danger.  I  had  hoped  that  the  imme 
diate  departure  of  the  Finanzrath  would  effect  this,  and  there- 
fore I  first  appealed  to  him,  told  him  what  I  have  told  you. 
and  begged  him  to  leave  the  castle,  but  he  would  not  believe 


^.%i'-^-''>^^Tp,~.    ■T         ":,■-■■  r  ■  ■;-.■■      :■'- \:t- y—i.5r;-,*'vv-;;'K ---';-■.  -_.f  ■-      f?  ■'-,;-■  :^^^.-.._    -■-  y'-,f  iW^J^^'-^-^'^^ 


VASTLE  HOHENWALD.  233 

in  my  information,  refused  to  be  guided  by  it,  and  tihus  forced 
me  to  turn  to  you,  Herr  Baron." 

"  Which  you  would  not  otherwise  have  done,"  Amo  re- 
joined, bitterly.  "  Nevertheless  I  am  grateful  to  you  for 
your  warning;  but  you  must  excuse  me  for  putting  one 
question  to  you.  You  tell  me  that  Werner  refused  to  be- 
lieve in  your  information.  Did  he  tell  you  his  reason  for 
doubting  it  ?" 

Lucie  hesitated  to  reply.  She  had  not  expected  this  ques- 
tion, and  yet  it  was  a  very  natural  one.  How  could  Amo 
expect  to  induce  his  brother  to  depart  if  he  were  not  in- 
formed of  the  entire  state  of  the  case  ?  He  must  know  that 
the  Finanzrath  mistrusted  him,  and  this  Lucie  could  tell  him 
only  by  letting  him  know  of  Werner's  jealousy.  It  offended 
her  sense  of  delicacy  to  inform  Amo  of  this ;  but  it  was  her 
duty  to  overcome  her  scruples  and  let  him  know  what  insane 
folly  possessed  Werner. 

•*  You  do  not  answer,"  Amo  continued,  after  a  short  pause, 
"  and  yet  my  question  is  a  very  simple  one." 

"  It  shall  be  answered,  Herr  Baron.  /tThe  Herr  Finanzrath 
thinks  that  I  have  been  induced  by  yot^  to  acquaint  him  with 
a  fictitious  tale  of  danger,  in  hopes  that  terror  may  drive  him 
from  Castle  Hohenwald." 

"  Indeed  ?  The  suspicion  is  like  him  !"  Amo  exclaimed, 
indignantly.  "  And  why  should  I  wish  to  drive  him  from 
the  castle,  and  why  should  you  lend  yourself  to  second  me 
by  a  falsehood  ?     I  do  not  perceive  the  connection  here." 

Lucie's  cheeks  were  crimson ;  but,  hard  as  it  was  to  reply, 
she  did  it  bravely.  "  The  Herr  Finanzrath  explained  this  in 
a  manner  very  insulting  to  me.  He  thinks  that  it  is  my  de- 
sire as  well  as  yours  to  banish  him  from  Castle  Hohenwald, 
that  we  may  escape  his  observation.  You  will  not  require 
me  to  explain  further  the  disgraceful  suspicions  aroused  in 
his  mind  by  an  unfortunate  passion." 

20* 


234  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Shameful !"  Amo  exclaimed.  "  I  have  long  known  of 
his  passion  for  you, — his  cold,  calculating  nature  is  incap 
able  of  a  genuine  aflfection ;  his  love  is  an  insult  to  you. 
I  did  not  believe  that  he  woidd  dare  to  oflfend  you  by 
such  unworthy  suspicions;  he  is  more  worthless  than  I 
thought  him.  I  thank  you  from  my  heart  for  bestow- 
ing your  confidence  upon  me;  rest  assured  you  shall  not. 
repent  it." 

For  a  few  minutes  they  walked  on  in  silence,  Amo  think- 
ing of  Werner's  silly  suspicion  that  he  was  the  author  of 
Anna's  warning.  Who  was  its  author?  The  answer  that 
instantly  occurred  to  him  to  this  question  disturbed  the  satis- 
faction that  Anna's  frankness  had  afforded  him.  Her  infor- 
mation could  proceed  from  but  one  person,  from  him  with 
whom  he  had  so  lately  seen  her  in  earnest  conversation ;  from 
Kurt  von  Poseneck. 

But  a  moment  ago  he  had  regarded  with  profound  contempt 
Werner's  groundless  jealousy,  and  yet  now  he  suddenly  felt  a 
like  sensation  with  regard  to  the  rival  who  had  robbed  him 
of  Anna's  love.  Her  warning  lost  all  credibility  in  his  eyes ; 
he  rebelled  against  receiving  it  from  a  man  whom  he  hated, 
and  felt  inclined,  as  Werner  had  done,  to  believe  that  it  had 
been  given  with  some  unworthy  aim.  He  must  have  certainty 
upon  this  point. 

All  that  was  genial  vanished  from  his  manner  as  he  turned 
to  Lucie,  and  with  the  same  icy  courtesy  that  had  character- 
ized his  first  address  to  her,  said,  "  I  owe  you  a  debt  of  grati- 
tude, Fraulein  Miiller,  but  let  me  pray  you  to  complete  your 
information.  It  is  very  important  that  I  should  know  the 
Bource  of  your  warning.  Tell  me  frankly,  do  I  owe  it  to 
Herr  Kurt  von  Poseneck  ?" 

"  How  did  you  know  ?  What  made  you  think  of  him  ?" 
Lucie  asked,  greatly  surprised. 

"  Thank  you,  Fraulein  Miiller ;  I  am  answered.     You  do 


-.'"r— -  ?*5^.J«;>r.^*r^^^->^'^  ■■      -■     '  *         .'■■■;.■.■:  -■  v   ■■<   ,.  -:^>,  - -v  ^^'■;4ry-'' -   ■    ^'-:        .-       '  \.--r--i.---"7*J>^y:  ■'_.'■'  ,-  = ';^. -T-,*^^*-."?^ 


CASTLE  HOEENWALD.  236 

not  deny,  then,  that  Herr  von  Poseneck  has  commissioned 
you  to  communicate  with  me  ?" 

"  Why  should  I  deny  it  ?  But  I  really  cannot  understand 
how " 

"  How  I  arrived  at  the  knowledge  of  your  intimate  relations 
with  Herr  von  Poseneck  ?  Chance  revealed  to  me  your  secret. 
I  saw  you  to-day  in  the  forest  eiijjaged  in  confidential  dis- 
course with  him.  I  now  know  why  you  refused  me  all  hope 
in  the  future." 

«  Herr  Baron  ! " 

"  Say  no  more !  Why  should  you  blush  because  I  allude 
to  your  relations  with  Herr  von  Poseneck  and  to  our  inter- 
view ?  You  never  gave  me  a  right  to  hope  for  your  love ;  it 
was  my  fault  if  in  my  conceit  I  cherished  hopes  which  you 
crushed  as  they  deserved.  I  reproach  myself,  not  you.  I 
deserved  the  harsh  repulse  which  I  received,  but  I  did  not 
deserve  that  you  should  deceive  me  at  the  very  time  when 
my  heart  was  laid  bare  before  you.  Had  you  but  told  me 
frankly  that  you  loved  another  it  would  have  pained  me 
deeply,  it  is  true,  but  my  confidence  in  you  would  have  been 
unshaken.  At  such  a  time  you  should  not  have  told  me  a 
falsehood." 

"  Herr  Baron,  I  assure  you " 

"  Would  you  still  deceive  me  ?  That  first  falsehood  was 
enough,  and  more  than  enough.  Let  us  break  oflF  this  con- 
versation. Let  me  give  you  one  last  piece  of  advice  in  return 
for  your  warning.  You  know  the  dislike  that  my  father 
entertains  for  the  Posenecks.  For  this  reason,  perhaps,  you 
have  refrained  from  any  mention  of  your  intimacy  with  thus 
gentleman,  and  you  certainly  are  right,  for  even  your  power- 
ftil  influence  would  hardly  avail,  I  fear,  to  conquer  the  hered- 
itary hatred  of  a  Hohenwald  for  a  Poseneck ;  but  if  you  would 
keep  your  secret,  let  me  advise  both  you  and  Herr  von  Posen- 
Ack  to  be  more  circumspect  in  ftiture.     The  people  on  this 


-^'  j—r-'-aii^r 


236  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

estate  have  noticed  his  daily  visits  to  a  certain  part  of  the 
Hohenwald  forest,  and  will  shortly  discover  to  whom  these 
visits  are  paid  unless  you  are  more  careful." 

It  was  positive  torture  to  Lucie  to  hear  Arno's  icy  tone  as 
he  gave  her  this  advice.  She  porceived  how  he  suffered ;  he 
had  betrayed  his  pain  when  he  showed  her  how  deeply  he 
felt  the  suspicion  of  her  untruth.  This  wretched  mistake  1 
But  could  she  undeceive  him  without  betraying  Celia  ?  And 
if  she  did, — if  she  proved  to  him  that  it  was  solely  upon 
Celia'a  account  that  Kurt  came  daily  to  the  Hohenwald  forest, 
might  there  not  be  danger  of  reviving  hopes  which  he  had 
resigned  ?  Still,  she  could  not  bear  that  he  should  leave  her 
with  a  doubt  in  his  mind  of  her  integrity. 

As  he  turned  to  go,  with  a  formal  bow,  she  lightly  touched 
his  arm.  "  We  must  not  part  thus,  Herr  Baron,"  she  said, 
(gravely.     "  You  owe  it  to  me  at  least  to  listen  to  me." 

"  What  can  you  have  to  say,  Fraulein  Miiller  ?"  Amo  asked 
as  he  paused. 

"  You  have  brought  a  grave  accusation  against  me,"  Lucie 
continued,  "  and  you  have  done  so  deceived  by  appearances." 

"  Was  I  deceived  when  I  saw  you  scarcely  an  hour  ago  in 
the  forest  with  Herr  von  Poseneck  ?" 

"  No  ;  you  saw  correctly." 

"  Is  it  not  true  that  Herr  von  Poseneck  has,  since  your 
arrival  at  Castle  Hohenwald,  daily  sought  a  certain  spot  in 
the  Hohenwald  forest  ?" 

"  This,  too,  is  true." 

"  Is  it  not  true  that  in  the  forest  he  sought  the  seat  hidden 
in  shrubbery  near  the  lake,  where  you  are  so  fond  of  dreaming 
away  a  solitary  hour?" 

"  That  is  not  true,  at  least  so  far  as  I  know." 

Arno's  face  expressed  doubt  and  amazement,  but  Lucie's 
eyes  flashed.  "  I  have  never  given  you  cause  to  doubt  my 
truth,"  she  said,  more  sternly  than  he  had  ever  heard  her 


'ij^^s^W^Sf^F^f?^  ?■'■''     .'•■-'  ■-     c--"      -  ■,--"■', ,~  \--i:^-s5-'f;-w-    :-:---        T'^'^'^^?''^  .  ;  -,.  *-'^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  237 

speak.  "  My  word  must  suffice ;  I  assure  you  that  I  liave 
seen  Herr  von  Poseneck  but  twice  in  my  life,  once  upon  the 
night  of  my  arrival  here,  &nd  this  afternoon  for  the  second 
time.  I  stand  in  no  relation  whatsoever  with  him,  and  our 
meeting  to-day  was  entirely  accidental." 

"  But  you  wer^  talking  to  him  so  earnestly." 

"  And  about  most  important  matters.  I  esteem  Hei  r  von 
Poseneck  very  highly,  I  do  not  deny.  He,  inspired  by  the 
purest  friendship  for  the  Hohenwalds,  begged  me  to  warn 
you  as  I  have  done." 

"  Was  this  all  you  were  talking  of?" 

''  This  and  something  else  no  less  important.  What  it  was 
is  my  secret,  and  I  feel  under  no  obligation  to  give  you  farther 
information,  as  you,  Herr  Baron,  have  no  right  to  doubt  my 
truth.  This  is  all  I  wished  to  say ;  I  will  no  longer  detain 
you. 

Amo  was  dismissed ;  he  bowed  in  some  confusion  as  Lucie 
left  him,  and  yet,  in  spite  of  the  severity  of  her  words  and 
manner,  his  heart  felt  lighter  than  before,  and  hope  began  to 
stir  within  him.  "  She  does  not  love  him,"  he  repeated  tc 
himself.     ''  There  is  no  falsehood  in  those  eyes." 

Lucie  hurried  to  her  room  before  joining  the  family  circle, 
according  to  daily  custom,  in  the  garden-room,  where  the  old 
Freiherr  was  already  looking  for  her, — she  wished  to  write  a 
few  lines  to  Ad^le.  This  she  did  hastily,  delivering  her  letter 
herself  to  the  Lispector  when  it  was  sealed,  and  beting  him 
to  see  that  it  was  put  into  the  bag  for  the  next  morning's  post 

A  few  moments  after  Lucie  had  left  the  Lispector's  room 
Werner  entered  it.  He  had  watched  her  firom  his  window, 
had  seen  the  letter  in  her  hand,  and  had  been  filled  with  vague 
misgivings.    "  That  letter  I  must  see !"  he  had  said  to  himself. 

"  Can  a  messenger  be  sent  on  horseback  to  A to  catch 

the  evening  mail  ?"  he  asked  of  the  Lispector,  who  was  just 
patting  Lucie's  letter  into  the  bag. 


^38  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Certainly,  Herr  Finanzrath,  very  easily,"  Hauk  replied. 
"  Old  John  can  go  on  Fraulein  Celia's  Pluto ;  there  is  plenty 
of  time." 

"  Give  me  the  post-bag  then, — I  have  an  important  letter 
10  send  ;  and  tell  John  to  saddle  Pluto,  and  I  will  have  it  ready 
for  him." 

The  Inspector  handed  him  the  bag,  which  Werner  instantly 
carried  with  him  to  his  room  and  opened.  With  a  triumph- 
ant smile  he  took  from  it  Lucie's  letter  addressed  to  Fraulein 
AdMe  von  Guntram.  "  I  thought  so,"  he  muttered  to  him- 
self. "  I  am  just  in  time."  Then  tearing  oflF  the  envelope 
he  read : 

"  What  will  you  think  of  me,  dear  Ad^le,  if  a  few  hours 
after  writing  my  last  letter  I  tell  you  not  to  heed  the  request 
it  contained  ?  I  hope  soon  to  be  able  to  let  you  know  why  I 
do  this,  but  I  cannot  tell  you  to-day.  I  cannot  leave  Castle 
Hohenwald,  and  so  you  are  relieved  of  the  burden  of  looking 
for  another  situation  for  me.  Farewell,  dear ;  you  will  soon 
hear  further  from  your  LuciE." 

Werner  dropped  the  letter  disappointed.  "  Nothing  more  ?" 
he  muttered.  "  I  need  not  have  opened  this  letter,  although 
I  had  better  know  what  she  intends  to  do."  He  tried  to  put 
the  letter  in  its  envelope  again,  but  it  could  not  be  done, 
the  latter  was  too  much  torn.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  destroy  it.  He  tore  it  up  therefore,  and  threw  it  into  his 
waste-paper  basket.  Then  putting  several  unimportant  letters 
into  the  post-bag,  he  took  it  out  to  John,  and  despatched  the 
old  man  upon  his  useless  errand. 


':r-r^:^^7^.'!^!W*^,* -■  .."-"-■        ■  '-A  --mv"  ^     >;';;■?    s-i^-n^s.-'x,  »;»r=,^.  -J-J:.  --     .  l--  ''rJ^^tAt 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD  239 


CHAPTER    XV. 

The  time  at  which  the  old  Freiherr  expected  his  familj 
to  assemble  about  him  every  evening  in  the  garden-room  had 
come.  Werner  on  his  way  thither  encountered  his  brother, 
who  was  awaiting  him  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase.  In  a  few 
mdignant  words  Amo  informed  him  that  Fraulein  Miiller 
had  acquainted  him  with  the  manner  in  which  her  well-mecuit 
warning  had  been  received,  and  said  all  that  was  possible  in 
so  short  a  time  to  induce  his  brother  to  leave  Hohenwald  as 
quickly  as  he  could.  "  In  the  castle,"  he  added,  "  there  are 
none  who  do  not  look  upon  your  fine-spun  schemes  as  treason- 
able plotting,  and  it  is  unjust  that  peril  should  threaten  all 
on  your  account." 

Werner,  however,  who  had  now  entirely  recovered  his  usual 
self-control  and  ease  of  manner,  treated  his  brother's  words 
with  contemptuous  indiflFerence,  and  thus  the  two  men  entered 
the  garden-room  together,  the  elder  dissembling  his  jealousy 
and  rage  beneath  an  easy  amiability  of  manner,  the  younger 
vexed  and  indignant  at  his  failure  to  influence  the  brother 
whose  ambitious  vanity  and  want  of  principle  were  abhorrent 
to  him. 

The  Finanzrath  evidently  felt  perfectly  secure,  and  exerted 
himself  to  prove  to  Fraulein  Miiller  his  sincere  regret  for  his 
late  want  of  self-control.  He  begged  her  for  one  of  her 
charming  songs,  and  meeting  with  a  curt  refusal,  acquiesced 
in  it  without  a  word.  He  was  all  that  a  courteous,  high-bred 
cavalier  should  be ;  and  yet,  in  spite  of  his  efforts  to  main- 
tain tbe  conversation,  it  flagged  continually,  for  each  member 
of  the  little  circle  felt  a  secret  oppression,  which  made  it 
impossible  to  join  in  it  with  any  interest. 


•> .  v'^^i^T^"-^  ^ri^.**??,"-'S^~ 


240  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Arno  was  unusually  taciturn ;  he  possessed  none  of  the 
versatility  that  enabled  Werner  so  quickly  to  forget  the 
serious  matters  that  had  lately  occupied  him.  Even  Oelia 
seemed  to  have  lost  all  her  wonted  sprightliness  ;  she  sat 
buried  in  thought  beside  her  father's  chair, — her  stool  placed 
BO  that  he  could  not  see  her  face,  for  she  could  not  look 
him  frankly  in  the  eyes  to-night,  and  her  heart  was  too  full 
to  allow  her  to  take  any  part  in  the  conversation.  This 
would  soon  have  become  monosyllabic  in  spite  of  Werner's 
exertions  had  he  not  casually  mentioned  a  visit  that  he 
had  paid  a  few  days  before  to  Griinhagen.  So  favourable  an 
opportunity  of  turning  the  conversation  upon  Kurt  did  not 
escape  Lucie  ;  she  asked  Werner,  with  evident  interest,  how 
young  Herr  von  Poseneck  liked  Griinhagen,  and  whether  he 
was  readily  adapting  himself  to  the  European  mode  of  life. 
Werner  could  not  understand  why  Lucie  should  take  so  vivid 
an  interest  in  Kurt,  but  he  was  glad  to  have  ft)und  a  topic 
upon  which  he  could  command  her  attention.  He  expatiated 
willingly  upon  Kurt's  excellent  capacity  as  a  landed  proprie- 
tor, and  upon  the  admirable  understanding  that  seemed  to 
exist  at  Griinhagen  between  uncle  and  nephew. 

The  Freiherr  listened  silently ;  that  the  topic  was  not  an 
agreeable  one  to  him  the  frown  gathering  on  his  brow  told 
plainly. 

Arno,  too,  said  not  a  word,  but  sat  glancing  now  and  then 
at  Lucie  with  displeasure  in  his  look.  What  could  be  Frau- 
lein  Miiller's  aim  in  this  show  of  interest  in  Kurt  ?  If  it 
were  intended  as  a  punishment  for  his  jealousy,  it  seemed  but 
a  petty  revenge. 

Celia,  however,  sat  quite  still,  with  sparkling  eyes  and  glow- 
ing cheeks  ;  she  said  nothing,  but  not  a  word  that  was  spoken 
escaped  her.  Werner  suddenly  appeared  kind  and  amiable 
in  her  eyes  as  he  thus  praised  Kurt. 

For  a  while  the  Freiherr  endured  Lucie's  continued  inqm- 


r'T-;-^     ■-■:-...-.<.-_  -_■;.']'. V-^^T-^^t  ,_7-.';,>--=r--"-  -- •.;^--.r-,--  -      '•■^^Tt^         -V  .   ■■         . "  ^. '  ,^- ^f?S«T^  ^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  241 

ries  about  GriinhageQ  and  Kurt ;  but  at  last  his  patience  was 
exhausted.  "  You  seem  to  take  a  remarkable  degree  of 
interest  in  this  fellow  Poseneck,  Fraulein  Anna,"  he  said, 
crossly ;  "for  Heaven's  sake  leave  him  to  himself  in  Griin- 
hagen, — the  less  I  hear  of  him  the  better  I  am  pleased  !" 

This  was  the  very  outbreak  for  which  Lucie  had  been 
hoping.  She  turned  to  the  Freiherr  and,  pushing  her  chair 
nearer  to  his,  said,  "  What  has  poor  Herr  von  Poseneck  done 
to  you,  Herr  Baron,  that  you  should  be  so  angry  with  him  ?" 

"  He  has  done  nothing  to  me,  but  I  hate  the  Posenecks 
one  and  all,"  was  the  harsh  reply. 

"  I  am  quite  sure  that  you  would  like  Kurt  von  P(»eneck 
if  you  knew  him,  Herr  Baron,"  Lucie  rejoined. 

"  I  don't  want  to  know  him !"  the  Freiherr  exclaimed, 
discontentedly. 

Nevertheless  Lucie  continued,  boldly,  "  He  is  the  very  man 
to  please  you.  Honest  and  true,  earnest  in  character,  but  with 
the  enthusiasm  of  youth,  a  thorough  gentleman,  but  no  fop, 
he  has  won  golden  opinions  &om  every  one  during  the  short 
time  that  has  passed  since  his  arrival  in  Europe." 

The  Freiherr  stared  at  her  in  amazement ;  her  unexpected 
praise  of  Herr  von  Poseneck  did  not  at  all  please  him,  but 
as  she  spoke  she  looked  at  him  with  so  charming  an  air  of 
entreaty  that  he  could  not  be  angry  with  her, — he  even  smiled 
as  he  shook  his  finger  at  her,  saying,  "  Aha !  Fraulein  Anna 
seems  quite  infatuated  with  Ihe  young  man.  I  had  no  idea 
ihat  she  knew  him  so  intimately." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  him  very  well,  although  I  have  really 
seen  him  but  once ;  my  opinion  of  him  is  based  upon  that 
of  a  far  more  competent  judge  than  I  am.  Count  Styrum. 
my  friend  Adele's  lover,  is  a  relation  of  Herr  von  Poseneck  ; 
his  word  is  the  best  warrant  for  the  young  man's  excellence. 
A  man  to  whom  Count  Styrum  gives  his  friendship  and 
esteem  is  certainly  deserving  of  them." 
Q  21 


".w +WW*'  ':^w'-*-''A^sy*#|ffMip 


242  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Make  your  acknowledgments  for  the  compliment,  Arno  1 
Count  Styrum  is  your  friend  too,"  the  Freiherr  said,  with  a 
laugh  ;  and  he  then  continued,  half  in  jest  and  half  in  earnest, 
"  The  friendship  of  the  Count,  for  whom  I  have  a  great  regard, 
is  certainly  a  recommendation  for  the  young  man,  but  fortu- 
nately I  am  entirely  indiflferent  as  to  whether  this  Herr  von 
Poseneck  deserves  your  praise  or  not,  for  I  have  nothing  to  do 
with  any  of  the  Poseneck  crew.  One  thing  strikes  me,  how- 
ever, and  that  is,  that  I  must  stop  abusing  them  when  Frau- 
lein  Anna  is  by.  Well,  well,  we  shall  not  quarrel  about 
them,  only,  if  she  persist  in  singing  this  young  fellow's 
praises,  she  will  make  her  old  adorei  jealous." 

Lucie  smiled  in  reply  ;  she  had  done  enough  for  to-day, 
and  Celia's  grateful  look  thanked  her.  She  arose,  and  going 
to  the  piano  unasked,  sang  one  of  the  old  man's  favourite  songs, 
which  would  have  won  him  to  forgiveness  even  had  he  been 
angry. 

The  tones  of  her  voice  had  just  died  away  when  old  Franz 
entered  the  room  with  the  post-bag,  which  he  said  had  just 
been  brought  to  the  castle  by  an  extra  messenger,  and  must 
contain  news  of  importance. 

The  Freiherr  eagerly  opened  it,  and  seizing  the  newspapers, 
which,  with  a  few  letters  for  the  Finanzrath,  were  all  that  it 
contained,  searched  them  for  the  expected  news  of  impor- 
tance. This  he  found  in  the  first  one  that  he  opened  ;  it  con- 
tained the  telegram  reporting  the  abdication  of  the  Crown 
Prince  of  HohenzoUern.  With  eyes  sparkling  with  joy  the 
Freiherr  read  it  aloud.  "  Thank  Grod !"  he  exclaimed.  "  I 
trust  we  have  done  with  this  miserable  war.  Franz,  bring  a 
bottle  of  champagne  in  honour  of  the  good  news  !" 

"  I  must  leave  you  this  evening ;  my  duty  recalls  me  to 
Dresden,  as  I  learn  from  this  letter,"  Werner  said,  after  having 
eagerly  looked  over  his  letters. 

"  What !  this  evening?"  the  Freiherr  asked,  and,  although 


-y^-wt^'-^y.  '-•■'.  :       ■      ■     ,•-•■  ■■ -.  .      '  -  t^.  ■  '■'■■      '■  vs 


CASTLE  HOEENWALD.  243 

the  question  expressed  surprise,  there  was  no  regret  in  his 
tone. 

"  I  must  obey  the  call  of  duty,"  Werner  replied.  "  While 
Franz  orders  the  carriage  I  will  pack  my  portmanteau,  and  I 
hope  I  shall  be  in  time  to  catch  the  night  train." 

He  shook  hands  with  his  father,  and  then  turned  to  Lucie, 
who  was  standing  near  the  window.  "  I  comply  with  your 
wish,  and  leave  you ;  forgive  me,"  he  whispered  ;  adding 
aloud,  "  Have  you  any  commands  for  Dresden,  Fraulein 
Miiller  ?  No  ?"  as  she  answered  by  a  gentle  shake  of  the  head. 
"  I  am  sorry,  but  pray  remember  that  you  may  always  com- 
mand me  as  you  please.  Adieu,  Celia ;  be  diligent  and  good, 
you  little  romp.  Adieu,  Amo ;  I  trust  you  will  forget,  as  I 
do,  that  there  have  lately  been  some  diflFerences  of  opinion 
between  us ;  upon  reflection  I  see  that  you  were  right  in  the 
last  conversation  we  had  together,  this  letter  has  convinced 
me." 

He  oflFered  Amo  his  hand,  but  the  latter  refused  to  take 
it.  "  I  have  no  confidence  in  you,"  he  said,  in  too  low  a 
tone  to  be  heard  by  the  others.  "  I  do  not  know  your  reason 
for  this  sudden  departure,  but  I  am  sure  that  it  is  not  regard 
for  the  safety  of  your  family." 

"  Are  you  then  implacable  ?" 

"  I  refoae  to  reply  to  deceit  with  deceit." 

"  What  is  the  matter,  boys  ?  Do  not  quarrel  when  you 
are  taking  leave  of  each  other,"  the  old  Freiherr  interposed ; 
and  Werner,  with  a  shrug,  let  fall  the  hand  he  had  oflFered 
his  brother,  and,  with  another  general  "  adieu,"  left  the  room. 

In  his  own  apartment,  he  packed  a  few  necessaries  in  his 
portmanteau,  devoting  all  the  time  he  had  to  a  careful  dispo- 
.sition  of  his  papers.  It  was  not  until  he  was  certain  that  not 
a  scrap  of  writing  was  left  either  in  desk  or  writing-table  that 
he  locked  his  portmanteau  and  gave  it  to  old  Franz,  who  came 
to  announce  that  the  carriage  was  waiting. 


244  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

As  he  drove  oflP,  just  in  time  to  catch  the  night  train,  those 
whom  he  left  behind  him  at  Hohenwald  by  no  means  ex- 
perienced the  usual  relief  felt  in  his  absence.  They  did  not 
believe  in  the  reason  assigned  by  him  for  his  hasty  departure, 
and  it  aroused  in  his  father's  mind  suspicions  that  he  waa 
more  deeply  implicated  in  rebellious  plots  than  he  had  hinted. 
No  one  of  the  little  circle  could  throw  off  the  gloom  that  op- 
pressed all,  and  the  old  Freiherr  was  rolled  into  his  bedroom 
much  earlier  than  usual. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  few  days  the  political  horizon 
again  darkened ;  all  Germany  keenly  felt  the  insult  offered  to 
the  King  of  Prussia  by  the  French  Emperor,  and  was  ready 
to  resent  it. 

"  Disgraceful !"  Amo  exclaimed,  after  reading  the  account 
of  it  aloud  in  the  newspapers,  "  This  is  enough  to  make 
every  German  forget  all  petty  jealousies  and  prejudices.  We 
should  be  one  nation  in  the  struggle  that  France  thus  forces 
upon  us.  I  am  quite  sure,  father,  that  you  will  gladly  see 
me  leave  you  to  take  my  part  in  the  war  that  now  seems  inevit- 
able for  the  fatherland." 

"  Go,  and  God  speed  you,  my  son !  Only  cowards  and 
traitors  can  hesitate  now  !" 

The  Freiherr  spoke  with  profound  emotion,  regarding  with 
paternal  pride  the  while  the  son  in  whom  he  delighted.  Celia 
threw  her  arms  around  her  brother's  neck  and  kissed  him 
tenderly.  "  You  are  my  own  darling  Amo  !"  she  exclaimed ; 
"  the  best  and  truest  fellow  in  the  world !" 

And  Lucie  ?  She  bestowed  upon  Amo  a  smile  that  fairly 
intoxicated  him  and  impelled  him  to  offer  her  his  hand,  in 
which  for  one  fleeting  instant  she  placed  her  own. 

The  small  circle  at  Castle  Hohenwald  presented  a  picture 
in  miniature  of  the  sentiments  of  the  entire  country  at  this 
time,  and  every  day's  developments  served  but  to  increase 
the  patriotic  enthusiasm  everywhere.     No  sooner  did  the  cry 


Wf^fw^'S^^yw^m^i^y^    <" 


CASTLE  HOUENWALD.  245 

resound  from  Paris,  "  On  to  Berlin !"  than  it  waa  decided 
that  as  soon  as  war  was  formally  declared  Amo  should  apply 
for  re-admission  to  the  army,  and  with  a  view  to  so  doing 
he  set  about  arranging  affairs  on  the  estate  so  that  his  ab- 
sence might  cause  his  invalid  father  as  little  annoyance  as 
possible.  Those  cares  kept  him  from  home  almost  every 
day, — it  was  only  in  the  evenings  that  he  could  make  one 
in  the  family  circle ;  but  these  evenings,  when  his  father's 
welcome  was  so  affectionate,  Celia's  so  enthusiastic,  and 
Lucie's  so  fall  of  gentleness  and  sympathy,  more  than  in- 
demnified him  for  the  hard  labour  of  the  day.  Only  one 
drawback  marred  the  pleasure  they  gave  him,  and  this  was 
the  manner  in  which  he  was  constantly  reminded  by  Lude 
herself  of  his  last  tete-d-tete  with  her.  What  reason  could 
she  have  for  perpetually  dragging  in  Kurt  von  Poseneck  as  a 
subject  for  conversation,  when  she  could  not  but  perceive  that 
it  was  distasteful  both  to  the  old  Freiherr  and  to  himself? 
This  the  Freiherr  frankly  declared  many  times,  but  consider- 
ate as  Lucie  usually  was  of  his  wishes,  on  this  point  she  paid 
no  regard  to  them.  With  persistent  obstinacy  she  made  use 
of  every  available  opportunity  to  refer  to  Kurt,  to  extol  his 
admirable  qualities,  to  describe  his  adventures  in  America, 
in  short,  to  depict  him  as  a  young  man  of  distinguished 
qualities  both  of  mind  and  of  heart. 

Of  course  Amo  never  dreamed  that  Celia  had  supplied 
Fraulein  Miiller  with  her  accurate  knowledge  of  Herr  von 
Poseneck's  life,  and  it  seemed  to  him  excessively  strange  that 
she  should  be  so  well  informed  concerning  a  man  whom, 
according  to  her  own  declaration,  she  had  seen  but  twice. 
This  contradiction  struck  the  Freiherr  also,  and  he  expressed 
his  surprise  at  it,  but  Lucie  only  smiled  and  replied,  "  Oh, 
I  have  a  private  source  of  information  which  I  know  just 
how  far  to  trust.  I  do  not  mean  to  describe  Herr  von  Posen- 
eck as  an  actual  angel  in  beard  and  moustache,  but  he  cer- 

21* 


"W 


246  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

tainly  is  a  charming  fellow,  whom  you,  HeiT  Baron,  would 
especially  like  if  you  only  knew  him,  as  I  sincerely  wish  you 
did." 

Celia  grew  crimson  at  this  reply,  but,  fortunately,  no  on« 
save  Lucie  noticed  this.  The  old  Freiherr  shook  his  head 
and  declared  that  he  felt  "  no  desire  to  know  any  Poseneck," 
but,  nevertheless,  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  Lucie  by  her 
persistency  had  aroused  in  him  a  species  of  interest,  and 
finally  one  evening,  when  she  had  been  recounting  some  of 
Kurt's  war  adventures  in  America,  he  remarked  that  that 
Poseneck  must  be  a  brave  fellow  since  he  had  attained  the 
rank  of  major  so  soon. 

Amo  was  not  so  easily  cured  of  his  prejudice  against 
Kurt,  Lucie's  constant  reference  to  whom  was  utterly  inex- 
plicable, and  at  times  roused  within  him  the  bitterest  jeal- 
ousy. He  was  worried  and  anxious,  too,  with  regard  to 
Werner,  from  whom  nothing  was  heard  after  his  departure. 
Whether  the  Finanzrath  were  really  in  Dresden  neither  his 
father  nor  his  brother  knew,  and  when  Amo  at  times  saw 
accounts  in  the  newspapers  of  the  arrest  of  persons  suspected 
of  being  agents  of  the  French  government  here  and  there 
in  Germany,  he  could  not  but  fear  lest  a  like  fate  might  over- 
take Werner,  and  he  knew  that  such  a  disgrace  would  crush 
his  father  to  the  earth. 


-1?  ^    .    IS       ij   1  ■"        *   i!r<<^      ^"■'9  ^yr~^    vr  ' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  247 


CHAPTER    XVL 

On  one  of  the  last  days  in  July  an  unusnal  crowd  thronged 

the  platform  of  the  railway  station  of  A ,  looking  eagerly 

for  the  train,  in  which,  so  crowded  was  it  sure  to  be  at  this 
time  with  troops,  it  was  difficult  for  civilians  to  find  places. 
On  this  particular  occasion  there  were  only  three  passengers 
for  A ,  and  these  had  been  obliged  to  content  them- 
selves with  places  in  a  baggage-wagon,  every  carriage  being 
crowded  with  troops  in  process  of  transportation.  As  soon 
as  these  three  stepped  upon  the  platform  they  were  be- 
sieged with  questions  of  all  kinds  from  the  throng  of  men 
waiting  there, — questions  which  seemed  especially  annoying 
to  one  of  the  three,  an  apparently  choleric,  elderly  gentle- 
man, who  elbowed  his  way  right  and  left  through  the  crowd, 
now  and  then  giving  vent  to  his  irritation  in  a  good  round 
oath,  as  he  declared,  "  I  know  nothing  and  care  less !"  and 
all  the  while  evidently  on  the  lookout  for  some  one  whom  at 
first  he  could  not  find. 

At  length  his  face  cleared.  "  Hollo,  Assessor  !"  he  called ; 
and  then,  with  another  struggle  to  clear  himself  of  importu- 
nate questioners,  "  Deuce  take  you  all  1"  he  exclaimed,  "  I 
have  something  better  to  do  than  to  answer  every  fool's 
questions !" 

The  people  about  him  grumbled,  but  perceiving  that  there 
was  no  satisfaction  to  be  gained  from  him,  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  the  other  two  passengers,  and  the  elderly  man  was  left 
to  pursue  his  way  successftdly  to  where  the  Assessor  von 
Hahn  stood  awaiting  him.  "  Here  I  am  at  last !"  he  said, 
holding  out  to  him  the  hand  unencumbered  by  his  travelling- 
bag.     "  I  have  been  trying  to  get  to  you  for  the  last  three 


248  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

days,  but  not  even  standing-room  could  I  find  in  the  rail- 
way-trains, wliich  are  nothing  but  military  transports.  I  had 
to  pay  an  enormous  price  to-day  for  a  place  in  a  baggage- 
wagon." 

The  two  men  were  now  quite  clear  of  the  crowd,  and  the 
Assessor  shook  the  new-comer  cordially  by  the  hand.  "  I  am 
rejoiced  to  see  you  !"  he  said.  "  You  know  how  entirely  I 
am  at  your  service,  Herr " 

"  Fernheim  !"  the  stranger  interrupted  him  before  he  could 
pronounce  the  name. 

"  Fernheim?     Really,  I  do  not  know " 

"  Call  me  Fernheim.  It  is  as  good  a  name  as  any  other, ' 
the  stranger  said,  in  a  tone  only  to  be  heard  by  the  Asses- 
sor. "  I  do  not  wish  these  curious  people  to  know  who  I  am, 
or  what  I  want.  The  news  of  my  coming  might  else  reach 
Castle  Hohenwald  sooner  than  I  desire  that  it  should." 

"  You  are  right,  Herr  Fernheim.  I  never  thought  of  it ; 
but  you  are  right,  you  were  perhaps  in  more  danger  than  you 
thought.  Do  you  know  by  sight  the  Finanzrath  von  Hoheu- 
wald  or  Count  Repuin  ?" 

"No,  I  have  no  knowledge  of  the  scoundrels !" 

"  Then  you  do  not  know  that  they  were  your  fellow-paa- 
aengers  in  the  train  ?" 

"  Not  an  idea  of  it.  But  thanks  for  the  information.  1 
shall  know  them  again  when  I  see  them.  The  bearded  fellow 
is  the  Russian  of  course.  Pity  that  Sorr  is  not  with  them ; 
the  noble  trio  would  then  be  complete." 

"  He  is  not  here." 

"  I  know  that ;  I  am  familiar  enough  with  the  rascal's  face. 
I  suppose  those  two  precious  rogues  are  bound  for  the  castle, 
BO  the  sooner  we  are  on  our  way  there  the  better.  You 
have  kept  your  promise,  Herr  Assessor,  to  prepare  everything 
for  a  visit  to  Hohenwald  ?" 

"  Of  course ;  I  have  awaited  you  at  every  train  since  I 


f^i^^^^T^^-jY^'^     -■-;".'-.    ^'-    -rv--  .,  '  ;,-:'7'  _.  -  -'-'^  V"!' '■'rr-'*^-^^-     -      •  ';■  "    '.  -  ^"^■^■■■■iJy^Sf??; 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  249 

received  your  despatch.  The  carriage  is  here  to  take  you 
instantly  to  Griinhagen,  Heir " 

"  Fernheim.  Do  not  forget  the  name.  And  no  one  in 
Hohenwald  suspects  my  arrival  ?" 

'■'  No  one." 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  Herr  Assessor.  We  will  leave  in- 
stantly, since  so  much  depends  upon  our  arriving  before  those 
two  worthy  gentlemen."  And  preceded  by  the  Assessor,  he 
passed  through  the  station-house,  and  getting  into  the  carriage 
waiting  for  them,  they  were  well  on  their  way  before  the  Fi- 
nanzrath  and  Count  Repuin  had  extricated  themselves  from 
the  crowd  of  eager  inquirers  on  the  platform. 

The  Finanzrath  had  good  reasons  for  answering  all  ques- 
tioners civilly,  here  so  near  his  home,  where  there  was  special 
need  that  he  should  preserve  a  character  for  patriotism.  Dur- 
ing the  last  few  days  several  of  his  friends  who  had  dared  in 
Munich,  Leipsic,  and  elsewhere  to  express  unpatriotic  senti- 
ments had  been  roughly  handled  by  the  enraged  populace. 
In  fear,  therefore,  of  a  like  fate,  Werner  judged  it  wisest  to 
answer  all  questions  with  the  greatest  amiability,  re-echoing 
bravely  the  curses  of  the  French  heard  on  all  sides,  and  even 
his  companion.  Count  Bepuin,  thought  it  prudent  to  follow 
his  example. 

The  Finanzrath  informed  his  hearers  that  war  had  been 
declared  the  day  before ;  that  Bismarck  had  announced  this 
officially  in  the  Keichstag,  and  that  the  enthusiasm  in  Berlin 
was  boundless, — any  amount  of  ftinds  for  the  prosecution  of 
the  war  would  be  voted  unanimously.  Werner  bore  his  part 
admirably  in  the  wild  shouts  of  exultation  that  followed  this 
intelligence,  waving  his  hat  with  the  foremost,  hurrahing  for 
Bismarck,  and  even  adding  his  fine  bass  voice  to  the  yelling 
rather  than  singing  of  "  Die  Wacht  am  Rhein,"  in  which  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  mob  culminated. 

By  degrees,  however,  the  crowd  dispersed,  and  the  two  men 


vw 


250  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

were  left  alone  on  the  platform.  "  Low-lived  canaille  !"  the 
Russian  exclaimed,  giving  vent  to  his  suppressed  indignation. 
"  I  would  have  every  scoundrel  of  them  well  thrashed !" 

"  You  do  them  too  much  honour,  my  dear  Count,  in  allow- 
ing them  to  ruffle  you  !"  Werner  calmly  rejoined.  "  Let  them 
roar  their  '  Wacht  am  Rhein'  as  they  please.  I  am  annoyed 
only  hy  Sorr's  non-appearance.  He  cannot  have  arrived,  as  he 
is  not  awaiting  us  here." 

"  True,  I  had  forgotten  the  rascal  in  the  midst  of  their 
shouts ;  but  you  are  right.  Baron,  he  should  have  been  here 

if  he  obeyed  my  commands  and  left  for  A two  days  ago. 

What  can  have  happened  to  him  ?" 

"  Nothing ;  we  have  seen  the  difficulty  that  exists  now 
in  getting  from  one  place  to  another.  He  will  come  by  the 
next  train, — but  it  is  very  unfortunate  for  me  to  have  to  wait 

here  at  the  station.    I  am  so  well  known  in  A that  people 

will  wonder  why  I  do  not  go  immediately  to  Castle  Hohen- 
waJd." 

"  Unfortunately,  there  is  no  help  for  it." 

"  Why  should  not  you  await  him  here  while  I  go  on  to 
Hohenwald  alone  ?" 

"  Impossible ;  you  know  that  I  cannot  appear  at  Hohen- 
wald, and  that  Sorr  must  accompany  you  thither,  since,  if 
introduced  there  by  you,  his  wife  cannot  refuse  to  give  him  a 
hearing.  Then  when  he  swears  that  he  has  broken  off  all 
connection  with  me,  she  cannot  refiise  to  follow  him,  and 
should  she,  your  father  would  refuse  protection  to  a  wife  so 
false  to  her  duty.  Sorr  will  do  as  I  say,  swear  what  I  dictate 
to  him,  and  the  result  is  certain." 

"  But  what,  aft^r  all.  Count,  can  the  result  avail  you  ?  You 
know  Frau  von  Sorr  detests  you.  Will  she  not  instantly 
return  to  Hohenwald  when  she  finds  that  she  has  been  de- 
ceived ?" 

"  That  is  my  affair,  my  dear  friend,"  Count  Repuin  replied, 


■:.^.'-''  V""*?^w«'?^-^!^^^^^T''?>--"''^''i^^^^  •■'^■"^fP!®?^I!?Tjn"^        --■      ■.■  "'V^^^^^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  251 

irith  an  ugly  smile.     "  There  are  means  to  tame  the  wildest 
bird,  and  of  those  means  I  shall  avail  myself." 

What  means,  the  Finanzrath  asked  himself,  would  the  Rus- 
sian use  to  bend  the  young  wife's  will,  to  conquer  her  hatred 
of  him  ?  Brutal  force  spoke  in  the  Count's  words  and 
gleamed  in  his  treacherous  eyes.  And  to  such  villainy  he, 
Werner  von  Hohenwald,  was  lending  himself ! 

A  few  days  previously,  in  a  burst  of  indignation  at  hearing 
that  he  had  been  denounced  to  the  government,  the  Finanz- 
rath, believing  that  Lucie  had  caused  this,  had  revealed  to  the 
Russian  the  place  of  her  retreat ;  now  he  bitterly  repented 
having  done  so,  and  blushed  for  the  part  he  was  playing. 
He  would  gladly  have  warned  her  of  the  danger  threat- 
ening her,  but  the  ties  that  bound  him  to  the  Russian  were 
of  such  a  nature  that  he  dared  not  provoke  the  man's  resent- 
ment, and  every  precaution  must  be  taken  lest  his  suspicion 
should  be  aroused.  With  as  easy  an  air  as  he  could  assume 
he  said,  "  I  suppose  you  will  find  means  to  attain  your  object, 
but  I  would  advise  you  to  take  care.  The  lovely  Frau  von 
Sorr  would,  I  imagine,  hesitate  at  nothing  if  driven  to  ex- 
tremes, and  might  appeal  to  the  law.  If  I  go  on  now  to  the 
castle  I  can  prepare  my  father's  mind  for  Sorr's  visit,  and  in- 
sure his  refusal  to  grant  her  his  protection  in  case  she  should 
rebel  against  her  husband's  authority." 

As  he  spoke  Repuin  eyed  him  with  a  contemptuous  smile. 
"  Counsel  for  counsel,  my  dear  Baron,"  he  replied,  with  a 
composure  equal  to  Werner's.  "  Take  care  that  I  do  not  sus- 
pect your  good  faith  towards  me.  In  your  delay  in  informing 
me  of  Frau  von  Sorr's  whereabouts  there  has  been  quite 
enough  to  put  me  on  my  guard.  I  mistrust  you.  I  will  not 
have  you  going  to  Castle  Hohenwald  alone,  nor  will  I  permit 
you  one  word  with  Frau  von  Sorr,  except  in  her  husband'f 
presence." 

"  Your  suspicion  is  insulting,  Count  Repuin." 


r'^-.-W-:,^^'^^.. 


252  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  You  can  allay  it  by  making  no  attempt  to  provoke  it.  1 
do  not  wish  to  offend  you  ;  we  are  allies,  and  I  desire  that  we 
may  continue  friends,  but  I  swear  to  you  that  any  obstacle 
laid  by  you  in  the  way  of  my  plans  here,  will  transform  me 
into  your  mortal  foe.  Candour  for  candour,  then ;  is  it  to  be 
peace  or  war  between  us  ?" 

What  could  Werner  reply?  He  had  no  choice.  Lucie 
must  be  sacrificed  to  save  himself.  He  adopted  an  aggrieved 
tone  and  answered,  "  I  shall  remain  here  until  Sorr  arrives, 
and  upon  your  head  be  the  consequences  of  your  imprudence." 

Several  hours  passed,  and  it  was  afternoon  before  Sorr 
arrived  in  a  crowded  train,  in  which  he  was  the  only  civilian. 
During  the  last  months  he  had  greatly  changed.  There  was 
in  his  appearance  not  a  trace  of  the  elegance  that  had  formerly 
characterized  it.  His  dress  was  neglected,  his  beard  unshaven, 
his  face  bloated.  He  looked  like  a  man  given  over  to  drink 
and  debauchery. 

When  he  emerged  from  the  railway-carriage  he  looked 
eagerly  about  for  the  Count,  whom  he  did  not  immediately 
perceive,  but  who  greeted  him  upon  his  approach  with  the  air 
of  a  master  addressing  his  slave. 

Sorr,  however,  interrupted  the  imperious  commands  of  the 
Russian  with,  "  One  moment,  Herr  Count ;  I  have  most  im- 
portant news  for  both  Baron  von  Hohenwald  and  yourself, 
which  will  doubtless  affect  your  plans.  We  are  betrayed ! 
You  as  well  as  the  Herr  Finanzrath  are  not  safe  for  a  mo- 
ment. Your  arrest  is  already  ordered ;  your  intention  to  visit 
Castle  Hohenwald  is  known,  and  it  is  there  that  you  are  to  be 
arrested." 

The  Finanzrath  turned  pale  and  his  voice  trembled  as  he 
exclaimed,  "  I  am  warned  from  all  sides ;  this  news  must  be 
true !" 

•'  It  may  still  only  be  over-anxiety  on  the  part  of  our  friends," 
said  Repuin.     "  Where  did  you  get  your  information,  Sorr  ?' 


■ ''■"-I'^jfP;^ ~ -  ■  ■    '-':■'■ 'W!firif?fW' 


CASTLE  EOHENWALD.  253 

"  From  Herr  von  WaJtershansen." 

"  Then  we  must  indeed  be  upon  our  guard.  By  the  infer- 
nal gods,  this  is  danger !  What  else  did  Waltershausen  tell 
you?" 

"  He  has  received  trustworthy  intelligence  that  Castle 
Hohenwald  is  to  undergo  a  thorough  search  to-day.  The 
Finanzrath  von  Hohenwald  and  Count  Repuin,  if  they  are 
found  there,  are  positively  to  be  arrested,  the  old  Freiherr 
and  his  son  Amo  only  in  case  circumstances  require  it.  The 
prisoners  are  to  be  taken  to  Kbnigstein.  That  the  matter  is 
considered  of  importance  in  Dresden  and  Berlin  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  the  arrests  are  to  be  made  under  the  command 
of  Count  von  Schlichting,  colonel  in  the  army,  and  formerly 
an  intimate  friend  of  the  old  Freiherr  von  Hohenwald.  The 
notorious  Geheimrath  Steuber  is  associated  with  him  in  the 
search  of  the  castle.  When  I  went  to  the  railway  depot  this 
morning,  Count  Schlichting  was  standing  on  the  platform 
eagerly  conversing  with  some  officers.  I  was  afraid  that  he 
was  to  come  down  by  the  very  train  in  which  Waltershausen 
had  procured  me  a  place,  and  he  knows  me.  Waltershausen, 
who  was  with  me,  feared  this  too.  He  is  extremely  well 
acquainted  with  the  Count,  and  no  one  suspects  him  of  any 
connection  with  Count  Repuin,  so  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
address  Schlichting,  who  spoke  to  him  without  reserve  of  his 
plans. 

"  It  appears  that  the  colonel  has  been  waiting  since  yester- 
day evening  for  the  Berlin  Chief  of  Police,  the  Geheimratk 
Steuber,  and  was  determined  that  if  he  did  not  arrive  by  this 

afternoon  he  would  take  the  train  for  A without  him, 

and  would  make  a  requisition  here  for  the  military  force 
needed  to  carry  out  his  orders.  Herr  von  Waltershausen 
enjoined  it  upon  me  to  beg  you  both,  gentlemen,  not  to  delay 
an  instant  in  escaping  the  threatened  arrest.  He  is  convinced, 
from  matters  being  placed  in  charge  of  an  officer  so  high  in 

22 


_  ^,^T    -■?^^.™^T?'^*P^5^ 


3tj^,;iS^5?>i^-t«^ 


264  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

rank,  that  a  court-maxtial  will  immediately  ensue,  and  he  is 
fiirther  convinced  that  there  would  be  no  hope  for  you  under 
such  circumstances  at  this  juncture.  Life  and  death  are  at 
stake,  be  bade  me  tell  you  !" 

**  He  is  right,"  the  Finanzrath  said,  eagerly.  "  Let  me 
conjure  you.  Count,  to  desist  from  your  insane  schemes,  which 
may  ruin  us  all.  We  can  still  save  ourselves  by  flight  into 
Hanover,  where  we  can  be  concealed  until  we  find  means  of 
getting  to  England.  It  would  be  madness  to  persist  in  going 
to  Hohenwald." 

Sorr's  news  had  made  Repuin  anxious,  but  Werner's  words 
enraged  him.  "  No  power  in  the  world,"  he  exclaimed,  "  shall 
force  me  to  turn  back  when  I  have  so  nearly  reached  the  goal 
of  my  desires  !  Yes,  I  wUl  fly  with  you,  but  only  if  Frau  von 
Sort  accompany  us.  And  if  by  word  or  even  by  look  you 
attempt  to  thwart  me,  look  to  yourself,  Herr  Finanzrath.  I 
will  not  spare  you  if  you  refuse  to  fulfil  your  promise  to 
me.  I  will  not  rest  until  you  have  reaped  the  harvest  of 
your  treachery  if  you  fail  me  now." 

"  But  how  can  our  putting  our  heads  into  the  trap  at 
Castle  Hohenwald  aid  you,  Count?"  Werner  cried,  in  deep 
agitation. 

"  I  do  not  ignore  the  danger,"  Repuin  replied  ;  "  but  I  am 
determined  to  meet  it,  and  have  no  doubt  that  we  shall  suc- 
ceed in  escaping  it  if  you  will  stand  by  me.  We  still  have 
several  hours  in  which  to  act.  Follow  the  plan  that  I  will 
mark  out  for  you,  and  to-night  will  see  us  in  safety.  As 
quickly  as  possible  have  at  our  disposal  two  vehicles  and  a 
trusty  messenger  on  a  good  horse,  and  the  rest  is  very  simple. 
While  you  drive  in  one  of  these  vehicles  to  the  castle  with 
Sorr,  I  will  wait  here  at  the  station.  I  know  Count  Schlicht- 
ing  by  sight,  although  he  does  not  know  me ;  it  therefore 
cannot  excite  his  attention  for  me  to  leave  the  platform 
as  soon  as  he  arrives  and  despatch  the  messenger  to  you  a^ 


'^-;,j>')j:jy^p^ 'v ?'':■-■ '■^v;-^-'-' ^'^  "j-.^p'^^^'*^^  ■  :--^''=:i:v^WT-2-  '\         ■  ■y^'^'Tifv'^- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  266 

Hohenwald,  while  I  get  into  the  other  carriage  and  drive 

to  R ,  where  I  will  await  you.    Before  Count  Schlichting 

has  obtained  the  military  aid  he  requires  I  shall  be  miles  from 
here  and  in  perfect  safety.  You,  in  the  mean  time,  will  have 
time  enough  at  the  castle  to  explain  matters  to  your  father 
and  to  employ  every  means  to  induce  Frau  von  Sorr  to  fol- 
low her  husband,  for  not  until  you  receive  by  my  messenger 
(he  empty  envelope,  which  is  all  I  shall  send,  addressed  to 
you,  will  there  be  any  occasion  for  haste  on  your  part,  and 
even  then  it  will  be  several  hours  before  Schlichting  with 
his  dragoons  can  reach  Hohenwald.  Of  course  you  will 
not  return  here  with  Sorr  and  the  lady,  but  drive  directly 

from  the  csistle  to  Baron  Kronburg's  at  R ,  whence  we 

will  pursue  our  journey  together.  This  is  my  plan ;  you 
must  admit  that  it  is  simple  and  deals  with  certainties  only, 
not  probabilities.     Are  you  agreed  ?" 

Werner  found  some  difficulty  in  replying.  "  It  would  be 
much  more  prudent,"  he  said,  "to  fly  at  once;  but  if  Herr 
von  Sorr  consents " 

"  Herr  von  Sorr  must  consent.  His  opinion  is  not  asked ; 
all  I  wish  is  to  know  yours." 

Sorr  seemed  not  to  hear  the  insulting  words.  "  I  shall  do 
just  as  you  please,"  he  said,  with  the  air  of  a  slave  before  his 
master. 

Repuin  hailed  Werner's  compliance  with  a  triumphant 
smile.  "  You  never  shall  regret  your  amiable  readiness  tc 
further  my  plan,"  he  said ;  "  but  now  to  action  1  We  must 
be  prompt !" 

Matters  were  soon  arranged  according  to  the  Russian's  direc- 
tions. Werner,  with  his  companion,  drove  off  towards  Castle 
Hohenwald,  leaving  a  trusty  messenger,  who  had  formerly 
been  an  inspector  on  the  Hohenwald  estate,  and  a  second  car- 
riage at  the  disposal  of  the  Russian,  who  took  his  stand  upon 
the  railway  platform  to  await  the  next  train  from  L . 


256  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

He  supposed  that  several  hours  would  elapse  before  it» 
arrival ;  but  here  he  was  mistaken, — it  made  its  appear- 
ance much  earlier  than  he  had  expected,  and  as  it  rolled 
slowly  into  the  station  Eepuin  recognized  in  one  of  the 
carriages  Count  Schlichting  in  earnest  conversation  with 
Count  Stvrinn.  This  startled  the  Russian,  and  he  feared 
instant  recognition  ;  but  Styrum  was  so  absorbed  in  what 
Schlichting  was  saying  that  he  did  not  look  up  until  R  ;puin 
had  left  the  platform.  Before  the  guards  had  opened  the 
doors  of  the  railway-carriages  the  Russian  had  despatched  his 
messenger  to  warn  Werner  at  the  castle,  and  was  himself 
seated  in  the  carriage  he  had  retained  for  his  own  use,  driving 

rapidly  towards  R .    An  evil  smile  hovered  about  his  lips 

as  he  reflected  that  he  should  shortly  see  the  lovely  Fran  von 
Sorr  again.  He  never  doubted  his  power  to  bend  her  will 
to  his,  and,  leaning  back  among  the  carriage-cusl  ions,  ha 
resigned  himself  to  pleasing  dreams  of  the  future. 


CHAPTER    XVIL 

Lucie  had  withdrawn  after  dinner  to  the  library,  to  pore 
over  the  newspapers,  now  so  filled  with  exciting  intelligence. 
She  was  alone,  for  Celia  was  in  the  garden  usually  at  this 
hour,  and  since  her  harsh  rejection  of  Arno  he  never  sought 
the  library  when  Fraulein  Miiller  was  there.  She  sat  for  a 
while  lost  in  thought.  Arno  had  applied  the  day  before  for 
re-admission  into  the  army ;  he  was  to  leave  for  Dresden  on 
the  following  day,  and  her  heart  told  her  that  this  would  be 
a  separation  forever.  She  was  so  absorbed  in  her  revery 
that  she  did  not  notice  old  Franz's  entrance,  and  looked  up 


l^p«n«».7^jss-^-y^'^T<*!^»5si^Sy«pLU!3pp*^  ?»fC5»-> 


■T^  '-r-^lU.tmu.'j.-^ait 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  257 

itartled  when  he  held  towards  her  a  note  and  announced,  with 
a  grim  air  of  discontent,  "  For  Fraulein  Miiller." 

"  For  me,  Franz  ?"  she  asked,  in  great  surprise.  "  Who 
could  have  brought  it  ?" 

"  The  Fraulein  may  well  be  surprised  at  the  fellow's  im- 
pudence. A  servant-man  from  Grunhagen  brought  it,  and 
refuses  to  return  without  an  answer  !"  was  the  reply.  Ailer 
which  Franz  left  the  room  with  the  air  of  having  made  his 
protest,  although  vainly,  against  some  crying  sin. 

Lucie  paid  him  but  little  heed ;  she  opened  her  note  and 
read: 

"  Deae  Fraulein  MUlleb, — I  am  to  leave  G-riinhagen 
to-night  for  I  cannot  say  how  long,  perhaps  forever.  I  am 
going  to  Berlin  to  obtain  permission  to  enter  the  Prussian 
army  as  a  volunteer.  Must  I  go  without  seeing  my  dearest 
Celia  once  more  ?  May  I  not  bid  her  good-bye  and  tell  her 
how  dear  she  is  to  me  ?  I  promised  you  not  to  see  Celia  again 
until  you  consented  to  our  meeting,  and  I  will  keep  my 
promise  if  you  refuse  to  release  me  from  it  upon  this  one 
occasion ;  but  I  pray  you  to  allow  us  to  see  each  other  once 
more,  perhaps  for  the  last  time  in  this  world. 

"I  do  not  ask  to  see  my  darling  alone.  Pray  come  with 
her  to  the  old  place  of  meeting  in  the  forest,  where  I  will 
await  you.  Let  me  hope  that  you  will  grant  my  request.  I 
need  not  tell  you  with  what  impatience  I  look  for  your  answer, 
a  simple  *  yes'  or  *  no,'  by  the  bearer  of  this. 
"  With  the  greatest  regard,  yours, 

"  Kurt  von  Poseneck." 

Luoie  was  profoundly  touched  by  Kurt's  note.     Ceiia  too, 

then,  was  to  suffer  the  pain  of  seeing  her  lover  depart  for  the 

war.     Poor,  and  yet  happy  Celia !     She  might  hope  that  if 

he  whom  she  loved  returned  alive  the  old  Freiherr  would 

R  22* 


v^^l 


258  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

relent,  and  hsr  love  be  crowned  with  happiness;  while  ii 
Arno  returned,  if  he  should  ever  seek  her  again,  what  then  V 
For  her  hope  did  not  exist. 

She  took  up  a  pen  and  wrote  hurriedly : 

"  I  will  be  at  the  appointed  spot  at  the  usual  time ;  whether 
Celia  will  accompany  me  or  not  depends  upon  the  decision  of 
the  Freiherr  von  Hohenwald.  Anna  Muller." 

She  sealed  her  note,  addressed  it  to  Herr  von  Poseneck, 
and  hurried  down  to  the  court-yard  to  deliver  it  herself  to  the 
Griinhagen  messenger,  upon  whom  she  enjoined  the  utmost 
despatch.  She  did  not  observe  that  as  she  spoke  with  the 
man  Franz  was  watching  her  from  the  hall,  while  Arno, 
who  was  crossing  the  court-yard,  paused  in  astonishment  as 
he  heard  her  words.  Was  she  really  so  intimate  with  young 
Poseneck  that  she  corresponded  with  him?  Perhaps  the 
letter  after  all  might  not  have  been  for  Kurt  von  Poseneck ; 
but  all  doubts  on  this  head  were  set  at  rest  by  Franz,  who, 
exercising  his  prerogative  as  a  privileged  servant,  said  grum- 
blingly,  as  his  young  master  passed  him  in  the  hall,  **  Fine 
doings  in  Hohenwald,  when  the  Fraulein  receives  letters 
from  Herr  von  Poseneck,  and  even  condescends  to  answer 
them  !"  This  was  enough  to  arouse  once  more  within  Amo's 
heart  the  demon  of  jealousy,  which  Lucie's  words  to  him 
should  have  killed  forever. 

Meanwhile,  entirely  unconscious  of  the  suffering  she  had 
caused,  Lucie  walked  slowly  towards  the  garden-room,  to 
carry  into  effect  the  plan  she  had  hastily  formed.  The  Frei- 
herr greeted  her  with  a  smile  of  welcome.  "  Why,  here  we 
have  Fraulein  Anna !"  he  said,  in  great  satisfaction.  "  Have 
you  come  to  bestow  your  charming  society  upon  an  old  fellow 
at  this  unwonted  hour  ?  But  what  is  that  ?"  he  added,  point- 
ing to  Kurt's  letter,  which  she  held  in  her  hand.     "  I  owe 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  259 


the  pleasure  of  your  visit  to  business,  I  see,  not  to  my  own 
attractions.  Never  mind,  I  am  always  delighted  to  see  you, 
whatever  brings  you." 

"  Indeed,  Herr  Baron  ?  May  I  rely  upon  that  ?"  Lucie 
asked,  meaningly,  as  she  drew  a  chair  to  his  side  and  sat  down. 
"  Are  you  sure  that  you  will  not  drive  me  away  indignantly 
if  I  come  to  prefer  a  request  that  does  not  please  you  ?" 

"  A  request?  'TLs  granted  before  'tis  asked ;  I  know  of 
nothing  that  I  could  refuse  you." 

"  I  might  take  you  at  your  word,  Herr  Baron,  but  that  I 
will  not  do.  You  shall  not  be  bound  by  a  promise  to  grant 
my  request,  you  must  do  it  of  your  own  free  choice." 

"  Why,  this  sounds  quite  solemn.  I  am  curious ;  out  with 
your  request,  whatever  it  is.     What  do  you  ask  ?" 

"  Nothing  for  myself,  Herr  Baron.  My  request  concemf 
Herr  von  Poseneck." 

The  Freiherr  was  not  made  in  the  least  angry,  as  wou'3 
formerly  have  been  the  case,  by  this  mention  of  the  name  of 
Poseneck ;  on  the  contrary,  he  laughed,  saying,  as  if  in  badi- 
nage, "  Always  Poseneck  !  Really,  child,  I  believe  you  are 
in  love  with  this  infernal  Poseneck,  who  must  be  a  tremen- 
dously fine  fellow  to  excite  such  an  interest  in  you." 

**  That  he  certainly  is,  Herr  Baron,  although  I  just  as  cer- 
tainly am  not  in  love  with  him.  He  is  a  noble-hearted  fellow, 
who  now,  after  having  served  with  honour  in  America,  is 
going  oflF  to  Berlin  to  enter  the  army  there  as  a  volunteer. 
His  life  in  America  never  lessened  his  honest  love  for  his 
German  fatherland." 

"He  is  a  fine  fellow  then,  and  I  honour  him.  I  never 
would  have  believed  it  of  a  Poseneck,"  the  Freiherr  said,  with 
a  kindly  nod  at  Lucie. 

"  You  may  believe  anything  that  is  good  and  true  of  him," 
Lucie  continued ;  "  his  self-devotion  costs  him  more  than  it 
does  most  men.     He  not  only  has  to  conquer  his  ambition  as 


Y  Tn^:-Wi 


260  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

a  former  major  in  thus  entering  the  army  as  a  common  sol- 
dier, but  he  sacrifices  his  whole  future  happiness.     He  pas 
sionately  loves  a  young  girl,  whose  father  is  a  bitter  enemy  to 
Prussia,  and  who  never  will  give  his  daughter  to  a  man  who 
fights  for  Prussia  in  this  war." 

"  Who  is  the  scoundrel  ?"  the  Freiherr  exclaimed,  indig- 
nantly. 

"  You  do  an  excellent  old  man  great  injustice,  Herr  Baron," 
Lucie  replied,  with  a  smile.  "  He  is  a  man  of  honour,  but 
the  victim  of  a  prejudice  which  so  possesses  him  that  he 
cannot  conquer  it  sufficiently  to  call  a  Prussian  his  son-in- 
hw." 

"  Then  he  does  not  love  his  child !"  the  Freiherr  eagerly 
asserted,  and  then  suddenly  paused  and  eyed  Lucie  sus- 
piciously. "  Stop  !  stop,  child  !"  he  said.  "  I  begin  to  sus- 
pect that  you  have  been  playing  your  own  little  game  with 
me.     Honestly,  what  has  all  this  to  do  with  your  request  ?" 

"  Will  you  really  not  be  angry  with  me,  Herr  Baron,  if  I 
speak  perfectly  frankly  to  you?"  Lucie  asked,  laying  her 
little  hand  on  the  old  man's  brown,  wrinkled  fist,  and  bestow- 
ing upon  him  one  of  her  charming  smiles. 

"  Little  flatterer,  how  can  any  one  be  angry  with  you  ?  Oh, 
you  have  the  old  bear  fast  in  your  toils,  and  now  come,  tell 
me  all  about  it." 

"  You  shall  hear,  Herr  Baron.  First  read  this  note  which 
I  received  not  an  hour  ago  from  Herr  von  Poseneck ;  it  will 
tell  you  all,  and  when  you  have  finished  I  will  tell  you  how 
it  came  to  be  written." 

The  Baron  read  Kurt's  note,  while  Lucie  noted  with  keen 
anxiety  every  change  in  his  features  as  he  read.  She  saw 
his  face  darken,  and  then  a  smile  dawned  about  his  mouth ; 
he  was  not  very  angry.  She  could  have  shouted  for  joy  at 
her  victory. 

"A  most  interesting  production!"   the  Freiherr  said,  »« 


^Wi?!f^TsT¥K^!^j^  i^Z^-':--iif\f'-:-  ";■-;■■=  T^ff^-Tiri^jT^'/siV'^v-^^reiifK."".-  ■•  -  r   •  ■     •"•;f(^«!a^t 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD  261 

he  handed  the  note  back  to  her.  "  Really,  this  HeiT  von 
Poseneck " 

"  Wait  until  you  hear  all,  Herr  Baron,  and  then  judge," 
Lucie  interrupted  him. 

And  she  went  on  to  tell  the  old  Freiherr  how  Celia  had 
accidentally  made  the  young  man's  acquaintance ;  how,  in  her 
childlike  innocence  and  trust,  she  had  grown  to  love  him,  and 
how,  at  last,  chance  had  betrayed  her  secret.  She  told  how 
Kurt  had  given  his  promise  never  to  see  Celia  without  her 
governess's  consent,  and  how  faithfully  he  had  kept  his  word. 
"  And  now  for  my  request,  Herr  Baron,"  she  said,  in  conclu- 
sion. "  I  know  it  will  be  hard  for  you  to  grant  it,  but  I  hope 
everything  from  your  magnanimity.  Let  me  take  Celia  with 
me ;  she  knows  nothing  of  this  note,  and  if  you  refiise  me  she 
shall  know  nothing;  but  you  will  not  be  so  cruel.  There 
must  be  a  farewell, — a  last  farewell.     May  not  Celia  go  with 

"  You  are  a  white  witch,  and  know  how  to  wind  the  old 
ogre  round  your  finger,"  the  Freiherr  said,  shaking  his  finger 
at  Lucie.  "  Li  fact,  I  ought  to  be  excessively  angry  with 
you,  but  as  this  is  impossible  I  may  as  well  take  my  pill 
without  a  wry  face.  The  will-o'-the-wisp  had  certainly  better 
see  the  young  man  under  your  auspices  than  run  oflF,  perhaps 
through  the  night  and  storm,  to  take  leave  of  him ;  the  child 
might  do  it  if  she  should  hear  that  Poseneck  was  going  away. 
But  one  very  serious  word  I  must  speak.  Your  Poseneck 
certainly  is  an  honest,  honourable  young  fellow,  his  note  and 
his  whole  conduct  show  that.  Celia  in  her  unsuspicious  in- 
nocence might  have  fallen  into  bad  hands.  You  cannot  ex- 
pect me  to  be  quite  content,  but  time  will  bring  counsel. 
Only  there  must  be  no  more  of  it  all  for  the  present ;  no  talk 
of  a  betrothal  as  yet,  no  tender  exchange  of  letters  and  such 
stuff.  Celia  is  as  yet  little  more  than  a  child.  If  the  young 
man  ever  comes  back  from  the  war  he  may  come  and  see  me 


■•'WS 


261!  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

here  and  we  will  talk  it  over  together.  But  before  then  I'll 
not  listen  to  another  word  about  it.  Do  you  agree,  you  white 
witeh  ?" 

"  Your  will  shall  be  my  law  in  the  matter,  Herr  Baron, 
and  I  thank  you  from  my  very  heart  for  conquering  for 
your  child's  sake  your  dislike  of  a  Poseneck." 

"  You  may  spare  your  thanks,  child,  or  rather  keep  them 
for  yourself,  who  honestly  deserve  them  for  taking  care  that 
my  dislike  should  gradually  subside.  Have  you  not  ham- 
mered away  at  my  heart  with  your  Poseneck  every  evenin/, 
for  weeks,  until  at  last  the  tough  old  muscle  has  grown  quite 
lender  ?" 

The  Freiherr  had  caused  his  rolling-chair  to  be  pushed  near 
the  open  glass  doors  of  the  garden-room,  that  he  might  inhale 
the  fragrance  which  now  towards  evening  was  borne  in  upon 
the  delicious  breeze  from  the  garden,  already  lying  in  shadow 
from  the  lofty  forest.  The  papers  lay  upon  the  table  beside 
him.  His  thoughts  were  busy  with  the  occurrences  of  the 
day.  "  Where  can  Werner  be  ?"  he  suddenly  asked  him- 
self. Several  letters  that  had  arrived  at  the  castle  for  the 
Finanzrath  and  had  been  forwarded  to  his  address  in  Dres- 
den had  been  to-day  returned,  with  the  notice  on  the  en- 
velopes that  he  had  left  Dresden.  Hence  the  question  that 
the  father  asked  himself.  He  nearly  started  from  his  chair 
when  old  Franz  flung  wide  the  folding-doors  leading  into  the 
hall  and  announced,  "  The  Herr  Finanzrath  !" 

His  visit  was  not  welcome,  and  when  Werner  entered,  not 
alone,  but  daring  to  introduce  a  stranger  without  permission, 
the  old  man's  patience  was  too  sorely  tried.  The  look  with 
which  he  regarded  his  son  was  by  no  means  amiable,  but  that 
with  which  he  greeted  his  companion  was  darker  still.  He 
was  very  unfavourably  impressed  by  this  man  from  the  first 
instant  of  his  appearance.    In  spite  of  his  long  seclusion  from 


r*nr.^i:^^-^-*^j^*;5?*^|P?^"fjS.  J^^i^;^        --■-:      '--'.-;■    y^j^---T::.--''  --.■-r.'^--:*-'.:,"::Vr"a;.---- ■^-    ■         i  ■  ■    _---  ■■.™^-<'-"'  '"  t-  r-''^r-^'a7«^;t"ft-'j 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  263 

society  the  Freiherr  had  always  retained  the  greatest  neatness, 
and  withal  an  old-fashioned  elegance,  in  his  dress.  Nothing 
was  more  distasteftd  to  him  than  a  want  of  cleanliness  or  an 
air  of  neglect,  and  both  of  these  characterized  the  former  fa^ 
tidious  Herr  von  Sorr,  whom  Werner  now  presented  to  his 
father.  And  Son's  countenance  did  not  belie  his  dress.  The 
pale  flabby  cheeks,  the  watery  eyes,  the  whole  expression 
indeed  of  the  man,  bore  witness  to  his  degraded,  debauched 
character  and  made  him  odious  to  the  old  Baron.  For  such 
a  guest  no  consideration  was  necessary. 

"  What  in  thunder  do  you  mean  ?"  he  said  angrily  to  Wer- 
ner. "  How  dare  you  bring  a  stranger  here  ?  Don't  you  know 
that  I  receive  no  visitors  ?  Whoever  you  are,  sir,  learn  that 
I  permit  no  invasion  of  my  seclusion !     There  is  the  door !" 

Sorr,  trained  though  he  had  been  by  Repuin  to  submit  to 
all  sorts  of  contemptuous  treatment,  was  nevertheless  abashed 
by  this  reception,  and  might  perhaps  scarcely  have  ventured 
to  persist  in  his  intrusion  had  not  Werner  come  to  his  aid. 

"  Before  you  express  yourself  so  angrily,  sir,"  he  said  to 
his  father,  "  you  should  hear  the  reasons  that  exist  for  my 
transgression  of  your  commands  and  my  introduction  to  you 
of  Herr  von  Sorr.  I  appeal  to  your  sense  of  justice,  sir,  in 
informing  you  that  Herr  von  Sorr  has  no  desire  to  intrude 
upon  you,  but  has  come  hither  because  I  have  assured  him 
that  no  Freiherr  von  Hohenwald  ever  refused  what  another 
had  a  right  to  claim,  and  that  his  just  demand  must  be  made 
directly  to  yourself." 

"  What  have  I  to  do  with  this  man?"  the  Freiherr  asked, 
crossly. 

"  This  you  can  only  learn,  sir,  by  granting  a  hearing  to 
Herr  von  Sorr,  not  by  repulsing  him  in  a  manner  that  cannot 
but  be  offensive  to  a  gentleman  who  comes  hither  at  the  re- 
quest of  your  eldest  son." 

Agam,  as  often  before,  the  Finanzrath's  imperturbable  com- 


■■•1^'' 


264  CASfLE  HOEENWALD. 

posure  asserted  its  sway  over  his  father's  passion.  The 
old  man  gave  his  son  a  dark  look,  but  yielded,  and  turning 
to  Sorr,  said,  with  forced  calmness,  "  Approach,  sir ;  I  re- 
gret it  if  my  hastiness  oflFended  you, — such  was  not  my 
intention.  I  can  make  no  exception  to  the  rule  which  1 
have  observed  for  years  of  denying  myself  to  visitors,  and 
therefore  I  beg  you  to  tell  me  as  briefly  as  possible  what  you 
desire." 

Sorr  complied  with  the  invitation  in  spite  of  the  ungracious 
manner  in  which  it  was  conveyed,  and  took  a  chair  near  the 
old  man,  but  when  he  met  his  dark,  searching  eye  the  words 
which  he  had  committed  to  memory  that  they  might  serve 
him  in  this  need  would  not  at  first  be  uttered.  He  cleared 
his  throat  in  a  vain  endeavour  to  begin  with  some  fitting  in- 
troductory phrase. 

"  Well,  sir  ?" 

The  Baron's  impatient  tone  admitted  of  no  further  delay, 
and  Sorr  began,  overcoming  his  first  stammering  hesitation 
as  he  proceeded.  "  Herr  Baron,"  he  said,  "  you  see  in  me  a 
wretched  man,  who  appeals  to  you  for  aid  in  recovering  his 
lost  happiness.  In  the  terrible  misfortunes  that  have  over- 
whelmed me  I  have  not  been  guiltless,  but  I  assure  you  on 
my  honour  that  I  repent  the  wrong  I  have  done,  and  that  I 
am  determined  to  begin  a  new  life  if  through  your  aid  I  sue 
ceed  in  attempting  it." 

"  What  is  it  that  you  want  of  me  ?  What  business  have 
you  to  ask  me  for  your  lost  happiness  ?"  the  Freiherr  inter- 
rupted Sorr's  studied  speech. 

"  Forgive  me,  Herr  Baron,  if,  carried  away  by  my  emotion, 
I  fail  to  use  the  right  words  in  which  to  convey  my  request. 
Bear  with  me  for  a  little  while  and  you  shall  learn  all.  I  will 
be  as  brief  as  possible,  A  few  years  ago  I  was  a  happy  man, 
my  fortune  was  considerable,  I  enjoyed  the  esteem  of  my 
firiends,  an  exalted  position  in  society,  and  I  possessed  a 


-;r>s»»s^.^:,- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  ^'65 

charming  wife,  to  whom  I  was  ardently  attached.  1  lacked 
but  one  thing, — the  strength  to  withstand  temptation.  One 
passion  ruled  my  life, — the  love  of  gaming.  Although  I  was 
usually  fortunate,  my  success  in  winning  large  sums  destroyed 
in  me  all  appreciation  of  the  value  of  money.  I  indulged  in 
the  wildest  extravagances,  and  my  income  was  always  exceeded 
by  my  expenses.  Thus  my  property  dwindled  almost  without 
my  knowledge.  My  wife,  who  loved  me  tenderly,  warned 
me,  entreated  me,  but  even  her  prayers,  all-powerful  in  every 
other  direction,  availed  nothing  to  induce  me  to  resist  the 
fatal  temptation  oflFered  me  by  cards.  It  dragged  me  down 
into  an  abyss  that  engulfed  my  fortune  and  that  of  my  wife 
also.  I  found  myself  at  last  a  beggar,  my  fortune,  friends, 
position  in  society,  and,  worse  than  all,  the  aflFection  of  a  wife 
whom  I  idolized,  all  gone.  Meanwhile,  one  of  my  friends 
had,  with  inconceivable  cunning  and  treachery,  abused  my 
confidence.  The  evenings  that  I  spent  at  the  gaming-table 
he  passed  with  my  wife,  representing  himself  as  having  been 
sent  by  me  to  beguile  her  solitude.  He  was  enormously 
wealthy,  and  no  sacrifice  being  too  great  in  his  eyes  where 
the  attainment  of  his  vile  ends  was  concerned,  he  at  times 
forced  upon  me  large  sums  for  the  payment  of  my  debts,  and 
I — with  shame  I  confess  it — was  weak  enough,  when  my  wife 
complained  to  me  of  the  persistent  attentions  of  this  treach- 
erous friend,  to  entreat  her  not  to  ofiend  him  by  any  harsh 
rejection  of  them.  I  had  utt«r  confidence  in  my  wife,  and 
never  suspected  to  what  depths  of  infamy  my  false  friend 
would  descend." 

"  What  the  devil  have  I  to  do  with  all  this?"  the  Freiherr 
burst  out,  more  and  more  disgusted  with  Sorr,  who  had  hoped 
his  thejftrical  pathos  was  producing  a  very  different  impression. 
"  For  Heaven's  sake,  come  to  the  point !" 

"  I  am  about  to  do  so.     My  treacherous  friend,  Gonnt 

Repuin " 

M  28 


'-■?K'ffF' 


266  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Stay !  Wliat  name  was  that  ?  Count  Repuin,  t\iii 
Russian,  Werner's  friend  and  confidant, — was  he  the  man?" 

"  The  same,  Herr  Baron.  I  lost  the  greater  part  of  my 
fortune  to  him ;  he  systematically  contrived  my  ruin,  believ- 
ing that  when  I  found  myself  a  beggar,  my  wife,  with  desti- 
tution staring  her  in  the  face,  would  lend  an  ear  to  his  vile 
proposals.  When  I  had  lost  all,  so  that  I  knew  not  where  to 
turn  for  the  barest  necessaries  of  existence,  he  carried  to  my 
wife  the  false  report  that  I  was  dishonoured,  that  I  had  been 
detected  in  cheating  at  cards,  and  that  it  was  in  his  power  to 
send  me  to  a  j^il.  It  was  a  bold  falsehood,  but  it  found  cre- 
dence with  my  wife,  whose  esteem  for  me  my  passion  for 
play  had  destroyed ;  and  when  he  further  informed  her  that, 
in  consideration  of  a  large  sum  of  money,  I  had  resigned 
to  him  all  claim  upon  her  duty,  in  short,  that  I  had  sold  her 
to  him,  in  her  despair  the  wretched  woman  believed  this  lie 
also." 

"  Infamous !  incredible !"  the  Freiherr  indignantly  ex- 
claimed, involuntarily  interested  at  last  in  Sorr's  recital. 

"  But  the  scoundrel  failed  in  his  schemes,  although  he  haa 
plunged  me  into  misery.  Devilish  though  his  cunning  was, 
he  failed  to  take  into  account  one  thing, — in  which,  indeed,  he 
had  no  faith, — that  a  woman  might  be  impregnably  virtuous. 
He  did  not  know  my  Lucie.  What  was  his  wealth  to  her  in 
comparison  with  her  honour  ?  She  spurned  his  ofiFers  with 
contempt,  and  yet  she  believed  him,  and  driven  by  despair 
almost  to  madness,  she  secretly  left  my  house.  When  on  the 
morning  after  the  fearful  night  in  which  I  had  sacrificed  my 
last  hope  at  the  gaming-table  I  sought  my  wife's  apartment 
to  pray  for  her  forgiveness  and  to  make  her  the  promise  for 
which  she  had  so  often  implored  me,  that  never  again  would 
I  touch  a  card,  I  found  upon  her  table  this  terrible  letter. 
Read  it,  Herr  Baron ;  it  will  explain  to  you  better  than  any 
words  of  mine  the  depth  of  my  misery."     And  Sorr  handed 


...Tri'^c.'^;!^^-^:?*;;^.!,;'.  , ■,-;._  ^.1<:-        ,  ,   -,    -  .sj^j^jjh,.;-,  . ,  ■  ;:'.-__a.^^f^^.x^- 


CASTLE  nOHENWALD.  267 


to  the  f  reiherr  the  letter  that  Lucie  had  left  behind  her  on 
the  evening  of  her  flight.     The  old  Baron  read : 

"  You  have  given  back  to  me  my  freedom ;  I  accept  it. 
It  is  your  desire  that  we  should  part ;  it  shall  be  fulfilled : 
you  will  never  see  me  again.  Should  you  dare  to  persecute 
me,  you  will  force  me  to  denounce  you  publicly,  and  to  give  to 
the  world  the  reasons  that  justify  my  conduct.  The  detected 
thief,  who  would  barter  his  wife's  honour,  has  forfeited  the 
right  to  control  her  destiny. — LuciE." 

An  odious  smile  hovered  upon  Sorr's  lips  as  he  watched 
the  Freiherr  while  he  read  this  letter  aloud,  and  as  he  marked 
the  impression  that  it  produced  upon  him.  He  exchanged 
a  significant  glance  with  Werner,  and  then,  when  the  read- 
ing was  finished,  continued :  "I  was  beside  myself  with 
grief  and  fury  when  I  found  that  my  adored  Lucie  had  left 
me.  She  had  fled,  that  was  clear,  although  I  could  under- 
stand neither  her  threat  nor  her  strange  intimations  that  I 
had  desired  to  part  from  her,  that  I  had  sold  her.  She  had 
vanished  ;  no  trace  of  her  could  I  find,  although  I  even  sum- 
moned the  police  to  my  aid.  Surely,  as  a  forsaken  husband, 
I  had  a  right  to  do  so.  All  was  in  vain.  Again  and  again 
I  read  her  mysterious  letter,  and  at  last,  upon  a  sudden  im- 
pulse, I  hastened  to  Repuin,  showed  him  Lucie's  note,  and 
demanded  and  received  its  explanation.  The  wretch  had  the 
eflfrontery  to  tell  me  with  a  smile,  of  the  manner  in  which  he 
had  destroyed  the  happiness  of  my  life.  We  fought.  I 
arose  from  the  sick-bed,  where  a  wound  received  in  the  duel 
prostrated  me  for  weeks,  an  altered  man.  I  have  taken  a 
vow  never  again  to  touch  a  card.  I  have  since  that  day 
earned  my  daily  bread  by  honest  toil,  correcting  proofs  for 
publishers,  and  giving  lessons  in  French  and  English.  I  have 
now  an  assured  although  moderate  income.  In  this  period 
of  struggle  one  hope  alone  has  sustained  me,  that  of  finding 
my  Lucie  again.    She  is  my  wife  by  the  indissoluble  bond  of 


268  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

marriage,  a  marriage  blest  by  the  Cliurch.  I  know  that  she 
will  gladly  return  to  me  and  share  my  toil  and  my  poverty 
when  she  knows  of  my  change  of  heart  and  life.  And 
chance  has  befricndod  me,  Herr  Baron,  leading  nie  to  a 
knowledge  of  your  son,  the  Herr  Finanzrath,  from  whom  I 
have  learned  that,  in  order  to  secure  herself  from  fancied 
persecution,  my  wife  has  taken  refuge  in  a  feigned  name,  and 
that  she  dwells  beneath  your  roof  as  Anna  Miillcr." 

The  Freiherr  stared  at  Son*  in  blank  amazement.  "  Good 
Grod,sir!  what  do  you  mean  ?  Are  you  mad  ?"  he  exclaimed. 
"  Fraulein  Miiller  a  wife,  and  your  wife  !" 

'"  Ask  your  son.  Herr  Baron,"  Sorr  replied  ;  "  he  will 
confirm  my  words." 

"  Herr  von  Sorr  speaks  but  the  truth,  father ;  it  is  my 
duty  to  attest  this.  Frau  von  Sorr  has  seen  fit  to  under- 
take to  fill  the  position  of  Celia's  governess  under  a  feigned 
name.  I  had,  of  course,  no  idea  of  this  when  I  engaged  her 
through  Frau  von  Adelung.  I  learned  her  true  name  only 
lately  and  by  chance,  and  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  acquaint  Herr 
von  Sorr  with  her  place  of  abode." 

When  the  first  shock  of  his  surprise  had  passed,  the  old 
Freiherr  looked  from  Werner  to  Sorr  and  from  Sorr  to  Wer- 
ner in  a  kind  of  ftiry.  He  had  no  suspicion  as  to  the  truth 
of  Sorr's  story ;  he  remembered  that,  by  Count  Styrum's 
desire,  no  allusion  was  ever  made  to  Fraulein  Miiller's  past ; 
there  could  be  no  doubt  that  Anna  was  Sorr's  unfortunate 
wife,  forced  by  a  sad  fate  to  fly  from  her  husband.  What 
the  Freiherr  did  doubt,  what,  indeed,  utterly  discredited, 
was  the  man's  assertion  of  an  altered  course  of  life.  One 
glance  at  his  bloated  features,  at  his  watery,  crimson-lidded 
eyes,  proclaimed  the  fact  that  Sorr  was  deeply  plunged  in 
debauchery  and  drunkenness.  This  man  had  never  aroused 
himself  to  a  life  of  honest  toil.  It  was  no  affection  for  hin 
wife  that  impelled  him  to  seek  her  out. 


**'p?^ii^-^wE5»«^.,^»v-;7*. •',.■*■  ■  "--    ''"-  ■■■-_.-■■■.  i!-;----'-,^--.  ,^^-^-  ^4'  ■  :■- 'V'V^'y:'--      r-^:  ■•_-">:■  -;       ■  .-.   -"-"^^^1^^^  . 


UASTLE  HOHENWALD.  269 

The  Freiherr's  mind  was  filled  with  vague  suspicion  as 
to  the  man's  motives,  suspicion  that  attached  in  a  degree 
also  to  Werner,  to  whose  last  words  he  sharply  rejoined, 
Kaying,— 

"  So  you  have  been  playing  the  spy  here  that  you  might 
betray  the  poor  thing's  confidence  ?" 

"  As  Frau  von  Sorr  never  honoured  me  with  her  confidence 
I  could  not  possibly  betray  it,"  Werner  replied  coolly  to  his 
father's  reproach.  "  When  I  saw  how  great  was  her  husband's 
misery,  and  how  sincere  his  resolution  to  amend,  I  judged  it 
my  duty  to  acquaint  him  with  his  wife's  retreat." 

"  I  owe  the  Finanzrath  an  eternal  debt  of  gratitude  for 
bringing  me  hither,"  Sorr  interposed,  "  and  for  promising  to 
set  the  crown  upon  his  kindness  by  doing  all  that  lies  in  his 
power  to  induce  my  beloved  Lucie  to  fiilfil  the  duty  that  she 
owes  to  an  unfortunate  husband." 

The  Finanzrath  bit  his  lip  Sorr's  words  reminded  him, 
as  they  were  meant  to  do,  of  the  promise  he  had  made  the 
Russian  to  do  all  that  lay  in  his  power  to  further  his  schemes. 
The  part  assigned  him  here  was  odious  enough,  but  the  fear 
inspired  by  the  Russian's  threats  conquered  his  distaste  for  it. 
He  had  gone  too  far  to  retrace  his  steps,  and  he  therefore 
replied  to  Sorr,  "  I  will  certainly  keep  my  word,  although  I 
think  there  will  be  little  need  of  any  influence  of  mine.  Frau 
von  Sorr,  I  feel  assured,  will  willingly  follow  you  ;  but  should 
she  refuse  to  do  so,  my  father  will  surely  not  sustain  her  in 
such  a  departure  from  her  duty.  Castle  Hohenwald  cannot 
possibly  be  an  asylum  for  a  wife  who  has  deserted  her  husband 
in  misfortune  and  refuses  to  return  to  him." 

As  Werner  spoke  these  words  he  did  not  look  up ;  he 
did  not  dare  to  meet  his  father's  eyes,  and  therefore  he  did 
not  see  the  contempt  that  shone  in  them  as  the  Freiherr 
tamed  from  his  son  to  Sorr  and  said,  sharply,  "  What  you 
ndk  of  me,  then,  Herr  von  Sorr,  is  that  I  shall  force  thi< 

23* 


r  i^*X'?&  ■>  "rTt-V  iSPi 


270  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

unhappy  woman  to  return  to  you.  Is  this  so  ?  Speak  out, 
sir  ;  I  want  a  candid  reply." 

"  Your  words  sound  harsh,  Herr  Baron,"  was  Sorr's  hum- 
ble reply.  "  I  never  thought  of  force,  but  only  that  you 
would  place  no  obstacle  in  the  way  of  an  unfortunate  man  who 
only  seeks  to  maintain  his  rights.  I  have  made  an  expensive 
journey  hither  from  Munich  in  the  confident  hope  that  it 
needed  only  an  interview  with  my  dear  Lucie  to  induce  her 
to  take  her  place  once  more  beside  me  as  my  faithful  wife 
whom  I  dearly  love  and  will  never  forsake.  Surely  the  last 
sad  months  have  atoned  for  my  wrong-doing.  I  have  a  right 
to  demand  that  she  should  follow  me  when  I  solemnly  assure 
her  that  I  have  broken  off  all  connection  with  Repuin.  She 
is  my  wife  before  God  and  man,  and  what  God  hath  joined 
let  not  man  put  asunder.  You  certainly,  Herr  Baron,  would 
never  protect  a  wife  against  the  claims  of  a  husband." 

The  Freiherr  did  not  immediately  reply.  This  Hen  von 
Sorr  inspired  him  with  a  disgust  which  his  evident  and  nau- 
seous hypocrisy  only  served  to  increase,  and  yet  he  could  not 
but  admit  to  himself  that  the  man's  claim,  as  he  represented 
it,  was  a  just  one. 

He  rang  the  silver  hand-bell  upon  his  table  and  said  to 
Franz,  who  immediately  made  his  appearance,  "  Beg  Fraulein 
Miiller  kindly  to  come  to  me  as  soon  as  she  can." 

Then,  turning  to  Sorr,  he  said,  "  I  will  not  listen  to  anothei 
word  from  you  until  I  hear  the  other  side  of  the  question.  I 
reserve  my  decision  until  then.  Not  until  I  have  spoken 
to  Fraulein  Anna, — I  always  call  her  so,  and  I  have  grown 
very  fond  of  her  under  this  name, — and  until  she  has  con- 
firmed your  statement,  will  I  accord  it  fall  belief." 

"  I  am  convinced,  Herr  Baron " 

"  Not  another  word,  Herr  von  Sorr !  I  will  keep  my  judg- 
ment unbiassed.  You  shall  be  confronted  with  the  accused 
after  I  have  first  spoken  with  her  alone." 


*PriT  ^jT'sf'^^-v-^^^pHaf^s  *  js-v^'"^ '  ^  ^-^^        -     ^  ^  -'■'r:^'rry^a^'f-'r-^^:  ■',^,-^^t^-: 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  271 

"  I  have  accused  no  one  but  myself,  Herr  Baron." 

"  I  attach  no  importance  to  that ;  it  shall  be  as  I  say. 
I  will  hear  what  Fraulein  Anna  has  to  say ;  I  will  talk 
with  her  alone, — she  shall  not  be  influenced  by  the  pres- 
ence of  any  one.  I  am  sure  that  she  will  tell  me  the  whole 
truth." 

This  arrangement  was  not  at  all  satisfactory  to  Sorr.  He 
feared  that  Lucie  might  tell  the  Freiherr  of  his  conversation 
with  her  on  the  evening  preceding  her  flight,  and  so  destroy 
his  web  of  specious  falsehood.  He  would  at  least  make  an 
attempt  to  prevent  this.  "  I  entreat  you,  Herr  Baron,  to 
permit  me  to  repeat  in  Lucie's  presence  what  I  have  told  you. 
It  wounds  me  that  you  should  doubt  my  words.  Lucie's 
testimony  shall  prove  to  you  that  I " 

The  Freiherr  harshly  interrupted  him,  "  I  will  not  hear 
another  word.  It  shall  be  as  I  say !  Werner,  take  Herr  von 
Sorr  out  upon  the  terrace ;  you  can  walk  up  and  down  there 
until  I  call  you  ;  I  wish  to  be  alone." 

"  But,  Herr  Baron " 

"  What  the  devil,  sir, — will  you  do  as  I  say  or  not  ?  I 
am  still  master  in  my  own  caatle,  I  believe,  and  I  will  not 
be  contradicted ;  I  wish  to  be  alone.  Your  place  for  the  pres- 
ent is  out  there  on  the  terrace.  If  you  refuse  to  obey  my 
orders,  the  servants  will  show  you  the  shortest  way  out  of 
the  castle." 

When  the  old  Baron  fell  into  a  downright  rage  there  wa«> 
nothing  to  be  done  with  him,  as  Werner  knew,  and  as  Sorr 
perceived ;  he  did  not  dare  further  to  gainsay  his  will,  and, 
with  a  low  bow,  he  followed  the  Finanzrath  out  upon  the 
terrace. 

The  Freiherr  sat  alone,  awaiting  with  the  greatest  impa- 
tience Anna's  appearance ;  but  the  minutes  passed  and  she  did 
not  come,  nor  did  old  Franz  return  to  explain  the  reason  why. 
The  Freiherr  rang  his  bell  again,  and  Werner  and  Sorr,  who 


■'s-:^j?j.BfSS(EiR 


272  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

had  been  awaiting  this  summons,  instantly  entered  from  the 
terrace. 

The  Froiliorr  received  them  with  a  good  round  oath.  "  1 
was  rinuiniT  for  tliat  old  ass  Franz  !"  he  roared  out  to  Werner. 
"  Stay  outside  on  the  terrace  with  your  Herr  von  Sorr  until  I 
call  you  by  name  !" 

The  two  men  were  obliged  to  withdraw.  The  Freiherr 
rang  his  bell  a  second  and  a  third  time  without  any  result, 
until  at  the  end  of  a  good  half-hour  Franz  appeared,  with 
the  intelligence  that  Fraulein  Miiller  was  nowhere  to  be  found. 
She  was  not  in  her  room  ;  Fraulein  Celia  said  that  the  Frau- 
lein had  gone  for  a  walk  in  the  garden  or  park ;  but  he  had 
searched  for  her  there  in  vain,  and  the  gardener  had  helped 
him,  and  was  sure  she  could  not  be  either  in  the  park  or 
in  the  garden. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

"  Oh,  my  darling,  darling  Anna,  how  can  I  thank  you  ?" 
Celia  laughed  and  cried  and  kissed  her  friend  amid  teara 
and  smiles,  dancing  about  her  room  like  some  wild  sprite. 

"  Come,  Celia ;  pray  be  reasonable,  child !"  Lucie  at  last 
admonished  her. 

"  Anything  but  that,  dearest  Anna,  you  must  not  ask  that ; 
I  am  half  mad  with  delight.  My  dear,  good  old  father !  How 
unjust  I  have  been  to  him !  How  could  I  keep  anything 
from  him  ?  It  was  shameful !  oh,  if  I  only  had  told  him  all 
about  it  the  very  first  day  when  I  met  Kurt !" 

Lucie  said  nothing ;  but  she  had  her  own  opinion  as  to 
whether  the  result  would  have  been  a  very  happy  one  for 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  273 

Celia  if  she  had  told  her  father  of  her  first  meeting  with 
Kurt.  The  girl  went  on  pouring  her  innocent  delight  into 
Lucie's  ears,  and  repeating  that  she  owed  it  all  to  her  darling 
A.nna. 

The  castle  clock  struck  four. 

"  At  last !"  Celia  exclaimed,  and  begged  Lucie  to  make  the 
greatest  haste,  lest  Kurt  should  have  to  wait.  Her  friend 
complied  ;  it  would  have  been  cruel  to  detain  the  girl  longer 
than  was  necessary  to  hasten  along  the  broad  road,  down 
which  Celia  had  so  often  galloped  upon  Pluto  to  the  appointed 
spot. 

They  soon  espied  the  light  straw  hat,  and  an  instant  after- 
ward Kurt  hurried  towards  them. 

"  I  have  fulfilled  your  wish,  Herr  von  Poseneck,"  Lucie 
said,  offering  her  hand  to  the  young  man. 

"  How  can  I  thank  you  sufficiently  for  so  doing !  for 
relinquishing  your  purpose  of  referring  my  request  to  the 
Freiherr  von  Hohenwald " 

"  No,  no,  dearest  Kurt !"  exclaimed  Celia.  "  She  did  not 
relinquish  it.  Yes,  you  may  well  be  surprised,  you  unprin- 
cipled fellow,  who  would  have  persuaded  me  to  meet  you  again 
without  the  knowledge  of  my  darling,  kind  old  father.  But, 
oh,  Kurt,  we  are  so  happy,  and  Anna  has  done  it  all !"  And 
the  girl,  amid  tears  and  laughter,  told  her  amazed  lover  of 
the  success  of  Anna's  exertions  in  his  favour. 

In  his  joy  that  there  was  no  longer  an  insurmountable  bar- 
rier between  himself  and  his  love,  Kurt  gladly  promised  to 
obey  every  condition  imposed  upon  him  by  the  Freiherr,  de- 
claring that  never  would  he  write  so  much  as  one  word  to  his 
darling  except  under  cover  to  her  father. 

When  Lucie  had  explained  to  him  all  that  she  had  prom- 
ised in  this  way  on  his  behalf  she  took  no  further  part  in  the 
conversation,  wandering  along  the  grassy  path  a  little  in  ad- 
vance of  the  lovers,  anxious  that  Celia  should  enjoy  to  the  full 
S 


'  ?'«S^- 


274  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

every  moment  of  this  short  hour  of  bliss,  and  lost  in  sad 
reflections  as  to  her  own  future. 

*'  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons  !" 

Kurt  and  Celia,  who  had  forgotten  all  the  actual  world, 
and  Lucie,  in  the  midst  of  her  sad  dreaming,  looked  up 
startled.  They  had  just  reached  the  spot  where  the  foot- 
path from  Griinhagen  crossed  the  broad  road,  and  confronting 
them  stood  the  Assessor  von  Hahn.  He  took  off  his  hat 
with  an  exceedingly  low  bow  to  Celia  in  particular. 

"  I  beg  ten  thousand  pardons,  Fraulein  von  Hohenwald, 
for  intruding  again,  but  I  am  discreet ;  I  make  no  boast " 

"  There  you  are  quite  right,  Herr  Assessor,  for  surely  there 
is  not  much  discretion  in  appearing  where  you  have  once  been 
told  that  your  presence  is  an  intrusion." 

The  Assessor  grew  crimson  at  Kurt's  words ;  he  retreated 
a  few  steps  and  said,  in  great  conftision,  "  You  wrong  me 
deeply,  Herr  von  Poseneck ;  you  will,  I  am  sure,  retract 
your  hasty  words  when  I  tell  you  that  my  presence  here  ha£. 
nothing  to  do  with  you  or  with  my  respected  cousin,  but 
with  Madame — that  is — I  mean,  I  wish  the  honour  of  a  few 
words  with  Fraulein  Miiller.  I  learned  in  Griinhagen, 
where  I  arrived  half  an  hour  ago,  that  Herr  von  Poseneck 
had  gone  to  the  forest,  and  I  suspected  that  the  two  ladies 
would  take  their  afternoon  walk  in  the  same  direction.  There- 
fore, as  it  was  highly  important  that  I  should  speak  with 
Madame — that  is,  Fraulein  Miiller,  I  ventured  to  come 
hither." 

Lucie  bestowed  upon  the  Assessor  a  glance  of  anything  but 
welcome,  but  she  could  not  refuse  to  respond  to  his  look  of 
appeal.  "  You  have  attained  your  purpose,  Herr  Assessor," 
she  said.  "  You  probably  bring  me  a  message  from  my  friend 
Ad^Ie.  The  Assessor  is  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine,"  she 
added  to  Kurt  and  Celia,  who  looked  rather  surprised,  "  and 
is  a  constant  visitor  at  the  President  von  Guntram's." 


;,Ci>T^7'r!;T:'t'*f;'»?^|i^£Jf»ii/,i^i!SqfW5^^ 


CASTLE  HOMENWALD.  275 

The  Assessor's  courage  returned  upon  hearing  Lucie  ac- 
knowledge his  acquaintance,  and  he  went  on  with  much  more 
confidence  than  before  :  "  Certainly,  Madame — that  is,  Frau- 
lein  Miiller,  I  bring  you  a  message  from  Fraulein  Ad^le,  and 
not  merely  a  message.  I  am  not  alone ;  there  is  a  gentleman 
in  the  shrubbery  who  wishes  to  speak  with  you.  I  brought 
him  at  Fraulein  Ad^le's  express  desire." 

Lucie  recoiled  in  terror.  Had  the  gossiping  Assessoi 
betrayed  her  secret  ?  Had  he  brought  hither  either  Repuin 
or  Sorr  ?  They  were  the  only  persons  who  could  have  any 
interest  in  discovering  her  retreat.  She  gazed  towards  the 
spot  indicated  by  the  Assessor,  and,  in  dread  of  encountering 
Repuin's  detested  form,  moved  closer  to  Kurt  as  if  for  protec- 
tion.    "  Whom  have  you  brought  here  ?"  she  asked. 

"  I  cannot  mention  any  name,  Fraulein  Miiller,"  the  As- 
sessor replied.  "  I  promised  not  to  do  so,  and  I  am  a  man 
of  my  word.  But  I  can  assure  you  that  you  will  rejoice  to 
see  my  honoured  companion.  He  wishes  to  meet  you  alone, 
therefore  I  pray  you  step  aside  to  where  he  is  awaiting  you 
in  the  forest  only  a  few  steps  from  here." 

"  I  will  not  go !"  Lucie  declared.  "  Whoever  your  com- 
panion may  be,  he  has  no  right  to  require  that  I  should  go 
into  the  forest  to  meet  him." 

"  You  do  not  know  of  whom  you  speak,  Fraulein  Miiller," 
the  Assessor  said,  with  unusual  earnestness.  '•  I  entreat  you 
not  to  refiise.  I  assure  you  you  will  rejoice  to  see  my  com- 
panion, who  longs  to  clasp  you  to  his  heart." 

Lucie  shot  at  the  little  man  a  glance  of  flame.  She  turned 
in  indignation  at  such  insolence  to  Kurt,  saying,  "  I  have 
nothing  further  to  say  to  this  gentleman.  May  I  beg  you, 
Herr  von  Poseneck,  to  continue  our  walk  ?" 

"  But,  Madame — Fraulein  Miiller,  I  would  say — ^you  place 
me  in  the  most  embarrassing  position ;  there  can  be  no  reason 
why  you  should  not  see  my  honoured  companion.    I  give  you 


r^W!^ 


276  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

my  word  of  honour  that  he  comes  by  Friiulein  AdMc's  express 
iesire ;  he  is  the  only  man  in  the  world  whom  I  would  have 
conducted  hither.  I  was  so  glad  to  meet  you  here  in  the 
forest,  and  not  to  be  obliged  to  go  to  the  castle  to  find  you, 
and  now  you  refuse  to  go  a  few  steps  to  meet  him  when  he 
has  come  so  many  miles  to  see  you.  Do  you  mistrust  me  ? 
I  do  not  deserve  it  of  you !" 

There  was  so  much  of  honesty  and  good  will  stamped  upon 
the  Assessor's  face,  he  was  evidently  so  aggrieved  by  Lucie's 
distrust  of  him,  that  his  words  produced  some  effect  upon  her. 
She  hesitated,  and  wondered  whether  she  were  right  in  her 
refusal ;  but  before  she  could  reply  an  elderly  gentleman, 
the  same  whom  the  Assessor  had  received  at  the  railway 
station,  emerged  from  the  forest  and  hastened  towards  her. 

She  gazed  at  him  for  a  moment,  and  then,  with  a  shriek 
of  joy,  threw  herself  into  his  arms,  and,  clasping  her  own 
about  his  neck,  kissed  him  again  and  again.  "  I  have  you 
again  !  Thank  God  !  thank  God  !"  she  cried.  "  This  is  too 
much  joy  !  Now  I  will  hold  you  fast.  You  must  not  leave 
your  child  again." 

The  gentleman  was  much  moved,  and  the  tears  stood  in  his 
eyes  as  he  returned  Lucie's  kisses.  "  My  child  !  my  dear, 
good  child  !"  he  whispered,  tenderly.  "  You  are  mine  once 
more,  and  I  shall  know  how  to  protect  you  from  your  das- 
tardly persecutors." 

"  We  are  not  alone,  we  must  remember  that,"  Lucie  said, 
at  length,  extricating  herself  from  her  father's  embrace. 

The  old  man  turned,  with  his  daughter's  hand  still  in  his, 
and  extended  his  right  hand  to  Kurt.  "  Forgive  me,  Herr 
von  Poseneck,"  he  said,  "  for  presenting  myself  so  unceremo- 
niously to  Friiulein  Cecilia  von  Hohenwald  and  yourself.  I 
had  hoped  that  my  daughter  would  comply  with  our  friend 
the  Assessor's  request  and  come  to  me  in  the  forest ;  but 
her  natural  reluctance  to  do  so  is  the  cause  why  you  are  the 


''^ff?f^WmS!FS'^^?S^-'"-----  '--^-.v '.-'-.■---;■■.-.;:■  .-s-- ..-■■-*•,?/,:    ■-  ■■-  -  i   -  ,    ••JSBW."' ■  - 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  277 

witnesses  of  a  meeting  between  a  father  and  daughter  who 
have  been  separated  for  years." 

For  a  few  moments  the  poor  Assessor  found  himself  upon 
a  pinnacle  of  glory.  The  modesty  with  which  nature  had 
endowed  him  was  in  danger  of  great  deterioration,  so  en- 
tlmsiastic  were  Lucie's  thanks  to  him  for  his  kind  interest, 
so  gratifying  was  the  appreciation  of  his  services  by  his  fair 
cousin  and  Herr  von  Poseneck.  But  alas,  poor  man  !  he 
soon  experienced  the  uncertainty  of  such  a  position,  and  felt 
himself  no  better  than  the  fifth  wheel  to  a  coach  with  the 
two  couples,  who  evidently  desired  to  be  left  to  themselves. 
Kurt  and  Celia  paid  him  not  the  least  attention,  and  Lucie 
was  so  wrapped  up  in  her  newly-found  father  that  she  soon 
seemed  entirely  to  have  forgotten  Hahn's  existence.  He  was 
therefore  fain  to  amuse  himself  by  botanizing  among  the 
forest  flowers. 

Lucie  clung  to  her  father's  arm  as  if  fearftd  of  losing  him 
again  should  she  leave  him  for  an  instant.  They  walked  on 
in  advance  of  the  lovers,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  out  of 
hearing  the  daughter  gave  words  to  her  delight.  "  I  am  so 
happy,  my  darling  father ;  I  can  scarcely  believe  the  evidence 
of  my  senses  that  I  am  looking  into  your  dear  eyes  and 
feeling  your  strong  arm  support  me.  Oh,  father,  how  cotdd 
you  stay  so  long  away  from  your  child  ?  All  would  have 
been  diflFerent  if  you  had  been  here  !" 

"  I  could  not  have  prevented  Sorr  from  ruining  himself 
and  you,"  Ahlborn  gloomily  replied.  "  Do  not  reproach  me, 
my  child.  I  did  what  I  was  forced  to  do,  and  the  result  has 
crowned  my  work.  When  I  left  you  without  even  taking 
leave  of  you,  I  determined  never  to  return  unless  in  posses- 
sion of  all,  and  more  than  all,  I  had  lost.  Even  then  I  sus- 
pected how  bitterly  we  had  been  deceived  in  Sorr,  and  my 
only  object  in  life  was  to  work  for  you,  my  darling,  that 
your  future  might  be  secure.     With  this  one  thought  in  my 

24 


■'-'y'lrr^'^^fm^^f 


278  CASTLE  HOHENWALb. 

mind  I  went  to  America  and  plunged  into  a  life  of  toil, 
in  which,  when  I  might  have  faltered  and  ftillen,  the  thought 
of  you  sustained  me.  I  added  dollar  to  dollar  with  the  par- 
simony of  a  miser.  I  embarked,  like  a  madman,  in  the 
boldest  speculations.  All  that  I  touched  seemed  to  turn  to 
profit.  But  why  dwell  upon  those  wild  years  ?  I  hate  to 
think  of  them,  for,  although  I  never  stooped  to  what  the 
worid  calls  dishonesty,  it  galls  me  now  to  remember  how 
different  was  the  system  of  mad  speculation  by  which  I  re- 
gained my  lost  fortune  from  the  plodding  industry  by  which 
I  first  obtained  it. 

"  Three  months  ago  I  arrived  in'  Bremen,  and  hurried  tt 
Berlin,  where  my  worst  fears  with  regard  to  Sorr  were  con- 
firmed.    His  reputation  was  gone,  his  property  lost ;  and  I 

was  told  that  he  had  removed  with  you  to  M .     When  I 

reached  M it  was  too  late,  you  had  vanished  unaccount- 
ably, and  Sorr,  too,  was  not  to  be  found." 

"  Did  not  Ad^le  tell  you  where  I  was  ?"  Lucie  asked. 

"  I  never  thought  of  going  to  her,  so  wide-spread  was  the 
report  that  in  your  despair  you  had  destroyed  yourself.     I 

left  M a  broken-hearted  man  ;  of  what  use  was  my  wealth  ? 

My  aim  in  life  was  gone. 

"  I  tried  to  divert  my  mind  by  travelling  aimlessly  hither 
and  thither;  and  at  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  seeing  by  the 
papers  that  a  fine  estate  on  the  banks  of  the  Bhine  was  for 
sale,  I  purchased  it,  in  hopes  of  finding  relief  from  my  misery 
in  the  care  of  it.  But  the  peaceful  solitude  to  which  I  had 
looked  to  soothe  my  pain  only  increased  it,  and  again  I  began 
my  wanderings,  which  suddenly  found  their  close  in  Berlin. 
Last  Friday  I  was  sauntering  aimlessly  along  the  street 
there  when  I  met  the  Assessor  von  Hahn.  Remembering 
that  in  former  days  he  was  in  the  habit  of  frequenting  our 
house,  where  he  was  one  of  your  adorers,  I  did  not  rebuff 
him  when  he  recognized  me  and  with  a  cordial  welcome  on 


P''«i3!TOij'<'7«Tv«.''s«:sa(jKrgj 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  279 

his  lips  walked  along  by  my  side.  I  soon  wearied  of  him, 
however,  and  paid  no  attention  to  the  gossip  he  continued 
to  retail  to  me,  until  I  was  aroused  from  my  absence  of 
mind  by  the  question,  '  Have  you  been  to  see  your  daughter 
yet  ?'  If  he  were  conscious  that  your  friends  mourned  you 
as  dead,  why  ask  so  cruel  a  question  ?  I  begged  him  instantly 
to  tell  me  all  that  he  knew  of  you,  and  this  threw  the  little 
man  into  the  greatest  conftision;  my  joy  was  unbounded 
when  he  assured  me  positively  that  you  were  still  alive, 
although  he  refused  to  reveal  to  me  your  retreat,  and  re- 
ferred me  to  your  friend  Addle.     An  hour  later  I  was  in 

the  train  bound  for  M ,  and  the  next  morning  I  had 

an  early  interview  with  your  friend,  who  was  in  raptures  at 
recognizing  me.  But,  ah,  my  child,  what  a  tale  she  told  me  ! 
My  poor  darling,  to  what  a  fate  did  I  resign  you !  Now, 
however,  I  know  all, — all,  for  Addle  even  gave  me  your  last 
letter  to  her  to  read,  entreating  me  to  go  instantly  to  your 
aid,  to  carry  you  to  my  home  on  the  Rhine,  far  away  from 
Castle  Hohenwald,  where,  as  you  said,  each  moment  was  tor- 
ture to  you." 

"  Did  Addle  say  that  ?"  Lucie  asked,  in  surprise.  "  Did 
she  not  show  you  my  second  letter,  which  she  must  have  re- 
ceived almost  simultaneously  with  the  first  ?" 

"  I  know  nothing  of  any  second  letter ;  but  your  friend  re- 
gretted deeply  that  she  had  not  yet  been  able  to  procure  you 
the  situation  for  which  you  implored  her,  and  added  that  she 
was  upon  the  point  of  writing  to  you,  to  insist  that  you  should 
return  to  your  old  retreat  beneath  her  father's  roof.  We 
consulted  together  what  was  best  to  be  done.  We  agreed 
that  you  must  leave  the  castle  immediately,  but  in  view  of 
the  eccentricity  of  its  lord,  I  judged  it  best  to  accept  the 
friendly  offices,  so  frankly  oflFered,  of  Herr  von  Hahn  to 
procure  an  interview  with  you,  rather  than  to  present  myself 
in  person  to  the  Freiherr. 


280  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  I  telegraphed  to  the  Assessor  at  A to  meet  me  at  the 

station  there,  and  as  soon  as  I  was  able  to  procure  a  place  in 
the  crowded  trains  came  hither.  He  was  waiting  for  me  on 
the  platform,  and  before  we  left  the  station  he  pointed  out  to 
me  two  gentlemen  who  had  arrived  by  the  same  train  aa  Count 
Repuin  and  the  Finanzrath  von  Hohenwald." 

"  Good  heavens  !"  Lucie  exclaimed.  "  Werner  and  the 
Count  !  This  is,  indeed,  wretched  news.  I  feared  it,  I 
feared  it,  although  I  could  not  conceive  that  the  Finanz- 
rath could  be  so  basely  treacherous.  But  let  Count  Repuin 
come, — I  am  no  longer  defenceless ;  I  will  confront  him 
boldly  in  the  presence  of  the  old  Freiherr."  Then  as  she 
reflectod  that  her  kind  old  friend  was  absolutely  ignorant  of 
her  past,  now  probably  to  be  so  misrepresented  to  him,  she 
went  on,  in  feverish  agitation  :  "  But,  oh  !  my  father,  there  is 
a  danger  which  you  cannot  avert.  What  if  my  kind  friend 
should  be  led  to  doubt  me  by  the  falsehoods  that  will  doubt- 
less be  poured  into  his  ears  ?  I  will  not  lose  his  esteem  and 
affection ;  we  must  see  him  before  the  Finanzrath  and  the 
Count  reach  the  castle.  Perhaps  it  is  already  too  late.  Pro- 
tect me  from  them,  father,  if  they  should  be  there,  and  stand 
beside  me  while  I  tell  the  Freiherr  my  wretehed  story." 

But  to  this  her  father  was  not  inclined  to  agree.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  presence  of  Repuin  he  would  gladly  have 
allowed  his  child  to  acquaint  the  Freiherr  with  all  her  past, 
but  he  could  not  doubt  the  Russian's  close  association  with 
Sorr,  and  from  her  husband  even  Lucie's  father  could  not 
protect  her.  Should  Sorr  require  her  to  follow  him,  nothing 
remained  for  her  save  to  elude  him  by  a  secret  flight  from 
the  castle  without  even  bidding  the  old  Freiherr  farewell. 
Only  when  beneath  her  father's  roof  could  she  thank  Baron 
von  Hohenwald  for  all  his  kindness  and  explain  to  him  the 
grounds  for  her  sudden  and  secret  flight. 

When,  however,  Herr  Ahlborn  explained  his  wishes  on 


'i-i^^rT^a^siw^.^:-^'^*^-:-'--:- '■    ■■-  .     .'       -■-.  .     '-,■■.■■   ■    '    '=..:-;■;      .V'?'"  -.■.■■"■■-  ■■•  ,  -;    'T-^>^'r'-r  -   "   ■.    '**:r^^ is-?^ 


CASTLE  IIOnENWALD.  281 

this  head  to  his  daughter,  he  encountered  a  determined  oppo- 
sition on  her  part ;  she  was  so  unwilling  to  leave  without 
one  word  of  explanation  what  had  been  to  her  a  dear  asylum, 
that  at  last,  trusting  in  Sorr's  absence,  the  father  yielded  to 
Lucie's  entreaties  and  consented  to  accompany  her  to  the 
castle. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

The  time  passed  with  incredible  swiftness  for  all  save  for 
p<)or  Herr  von  Hahn.  Celia  had  so  much  to  say  to  her  lover 
that  when  Lucie  reminded  her  that  it  was  time  to  return  she 
begged  for  "  one  more  quarter  of  an  hour,  dearest  Anna !" 
and  was  only  pacified  by  the  permission  given  to  Kurt  to 
accompany  her  to-day  on  the  walk  back  to  the  castle. 

Thus  all  turned  their  faces  towards  home.  Celia  wished 
the  road  were  miles  long.  She  went  first  with  Kurt,  and 
Lucie  and  her  father  with  the  Assessor  followed  them.  The 
lovers  paused  at  the  gate  of  the  court-yard ;  Kurt  could  go 
no  farther.  As  Celia  was  looking  back  for  Anna,  her  atten- 
tion was  diverted  by  the  noise  of  a  vehicle,  and  through  an 
opposite  entrance  came  a  carriage  that  drew  up  before  the 
steps  leading  into  the  castle  hall.  Two  gentlemen  descended 
from  it, — one  was  Werner,  the  other  an  entire  stranger  to  Celia 
"  Anna,"  the  girl  said  to  her  friend,  who  was  still  too  far  off 
to  look  into  the  interior  of  the  court-yard,  "  Werner  haa 
come,  and  he  is  not  alone, — there  is  a  stranger  with  him." 

The  intelligence  did  not  startle  Lucie  ;  she  had  feared  that 
the  Finanzrath  and  Repuin  would  reach  the  castle  before  her, 
but  in  another  instant  she  stood  by  Celia's  side,  and  recog- 
nized in  the  stranger  not  Repuin,  but  her  miserable  husband. 

24* 


.i-^. 


282  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"Sorr  is  there  himself;  you  will  not  now  return  to  the 
castle  ?"  her  father,  who  instantly  recognized  his  son-in-law, 
asked. 

Lucie  did  not  reply ;  she  was  too  much  dismayed  to  appre- 
ciate at  first  the  result  which  a  meeting  with  her  husband  in 
Castle  Hohenwald  might  bring  about. 

"  I  yielded  to  your  wish,"  said  Herr  Ahlborn,  "  when  I  sup- 
posed that  Count  Repuin  would  be  the  Finanzrath's  com- 
panion ;  but  since  Sorr  himself  is  here,  doubtless  with  the 
intention  of  asserting  a  husband's  rights,  you  must  not  lose  a 
moment,  but  must  follow  me  instantlv." 

"  Only  let  me  say  one  word  of  farewell,  father." 

"  No,  you  must  not  expose  yourself  to  such  peril." 

"  What  will  the  Freiherr  think  of  me  if  I  fly  thus  without 
a  word  ?  Herr  von  Sorr  will  not  venture  to  malign  me  if  I 
confront  him  in  the  Baron's  presence." 

"  But  he  will  demand  his  rights,  and,  in  spite  of  his  base 
■ess,  he  has  the  law  upon  his  side.     You  owe  it  to  me,  your 
father,  as  well  as  to  yourself,  to  come  with  me.     Fraulein 
Cecilia  will  carry  your  farewell  to  her  father,  and  you  can 
soon  write  to  him  and  explain  everything." 

All  that  Celia,  standing  by  in  utter  amazement  at  the  words 
exchanged  between  father  and  daughter,  could  understand 
was,  that  the  stranger  with  Werner,  whom  they  called  Sorr, 
threatened  Anna  with  great  danger,  from  which  her  father 
was  entreating  her  to  fly,  and  that  her  friend  was  unwilling 
to  leave  the  castle  without  a  word  of  farewell.  Celia  had 
often  pondered  the  mystery  of  her  friend's  past,  and  was 
firmly  convinced  that  whatever  it  might  be  Anna  never  could 
have  been  to  blame. 

"  What  are  you  saying  ?"  the  girl  exclaimed,  in  great  agi- 
tation. "  Are  you  talking  of  leaving  Castle  Hohenwald 
without  one  word  of  farewell  to  dear  papa  and  Amo  ?  Oh, 
no,  Anna  !     Indeed,  you  must  not  think  of  doing  so.    What- 


'CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  283 

ever  may  be  the  evil  intent  of  Werner  and  his  companion, 
papa  and  Amo  will  know  how  to  protect  you." 

"  Fraulein  Cecilia,  do  you  really  love  my  daughter  ?"  Ahl 
born  aaked,  earnestly. 

"  Do  I  love  her?"  the  girl  rejoined.  "  She  is  my  dearest 
friend.  I  owe  to  her  all  the  happiness  of  my  life."  And  her 
glance  sought  Kurt. 

''  Then,  if  you  really  love  her,  you  will  not  try  to  persuade 
her  to  enter  the  castle,  when  I  assure  you  solemnly  that  she 
will  by  so  doing  imperil  the  happiness  of  her  life.  Trust 
me,  I  implore  you.  You  shall  soon  hear  from  us  and  learn 
all  that  want  of  time  now  forces  us  to  conceal.  Everything 
depends  upon  her  leaving  here  with  me  without  a  moment's 
delay.     Would  you  yet  persuade  her  to  remain  ?" 

"No!  no!  you  shall  not  stay,  my  darling  Anna!"  the 
girl  exclaimed,  more  impressed  by  the  old  man's  tone  and 
manner  than  by  his  words.  "  If  your  happiness  is  at  stake 
never  think  of  us.  I  do  not  know  how  I  shall  live  without 
you  now  that  Kurt  and  Amo  are  both  going  to  leave  us,  but 
not  for  worlds  would  I  keep  you.  Gro  with  your  father,  and 
I  will  tell  papa  how  sorry  you  are  not  to  say  good-bye  to  him, 
and  that  you  will  soon  write  and  explain  everything." 

Lucie  was  deeply  agitated.  Her  heart  rebelled  at  the 
thought  of  leaving  the  castle  thns,  but  her  reason  told  her 
that  it  was  her  only  chance  of  safety,  and  she  yielded  to 
Celia's  unselfish  entreaty.  At  Herr  Ahlbom's  request  the 
girl  promised  not  to  acquaint  her  father  with  Fraulein  Mul- 
ler's  secret  departure  until  late  in  the  evening,  and  to  state 
in  answer  to  any  inquiries  concerning  her  that  she  had  com- 
plained of  headache  and  had  gone  to  take  a  solitary  walk: 

The  friends  then  took  leave  of  each  other  with  many  tears, 
and  Lucie,  with  her  father  and  the  Assessor,  struck  into  the 
foot-path  leading  through  the  forest  and  village  of  Hohenwald 
to  Griinhagen.     Kurt  lingered  for  one  moment  for  a  last 


284  CASTLE  hohenwald: 

embrace  of  his  darling,  and  then,  joining  Lucie,  walked  silently 
by  her  side. 

Lost  in  thoughts  of  Hohenwald  and  of  what  Arno  would 
say  when  he  heard  of  her  flight,  Lucie  walked  on  swiftly. 
Suddenly  she  paused  with  a  thrill  of  delighted  surprise,  for 
he  of  whom  she  was  thinking  stood  before  her. 

Arno  was  on  his  way  from  the  village  of  Hohenwald,  and 
owing  to  the  windings  of  the  path  was  close  beside  the  twc 
gentlemen,  who  were  in  front  of  Kurt  and  Lucie,  before  he 
saw  them.  His  surprise  was  great  on  beholding  the  Assessor, 
with  whom  he  had  formerly  been  slightly  acquainted,  and 
who  now  bowed  profoundly,  while  his  elderly  companion 
accorded  him  a  reluctant  greeting  by  slightly  raising  his  hat. 
Arno  was  about  to  accost  them  when  he  perceived,  to  his 
still  greater  astonishment,  at  some  little  distance,  Fraulein 
Miiller  accompanied  by  Herr  von  Poseneck. 

There  had  been  another  meeting  in  the  forest,  then.  It 
had  doubtless  been  arranged  in  the  letter  that  had  aroused 
his  jealousy.  His  soul  was  filled  with  bitterness.  How  great 
had  been  his  folly  in  trusting  Anna's  words  rather  than  his 
own  eyes  !  How  she  must  have  smiled  at  his  futile  irritation 
when  she  persisted  in  reiterating  Poseneck's  praises  !  What 
did  she  mean  now  ?  She  suddenly  stood  still  as  she  perceived 
him,  and  on  her  lovely  face  there  dawned  a  brilliant  smile  as 
she  held  out  to  him  both  her  hands.  "  What  an  unexpected 
pleasure !"  she  exclaimed. 

He  did  not  take  her  proflFered  hands,  and  would  have  passed 
on  with  a  bow,  but  this  she  prevented.  She  took  his  hand. 
"  We  must  not  part  thus,  Herr  Baron,"  she  said,  with  so 
kindly  a  look  that  in  a  moment  his  bitter  mood  was  changed ; 
he  carried  her  hand  tenderly  to  his  lips,  and  she  did  not 
withdraw  it. 

"  You  are  displeased  with  me,  Herr  Baron,"  Lucie  con- 
tinued; "but  you  do  me  great  injustice.     Now  that  I  see 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  285 

you  I  can  in  some  measure  explain  the  grief  that  my  hasty 
departure  from  the  castle  causes  me.  I  told  my  father — ^but 
you  do  not  know  my  dearest  father  yet.  This,  father  dear, 
is  the  Baron  Amo  von  Hohenwald." 

Herr  Ahlborn  was  by  no  means  pleased  at  this  meeting 
m  the  forest ;  it  must  lead  to  explanations  which  he  would 
fain  have  avoided.     He  uttered  a  few  phrases  of  conventional 

eourtesy,  and  regretted  that  the  necessity  for  reaching  A 

that  very  evening  would  prevent  any  prolongation  of  the  in- 
terview. "  I  shall  not  fail,"  he  added,  "  to  communicate 
shortly  by  letter  the  reasons  which  make  my  daughter's 
sudden  departure  from  Castle  Hohenwald  an  imperative  ne- 
cessity." 

All  that  Amo  gathered  from  this  was  the  fact — and  it 
filled  him  with  dismay — ^that  Anna  was  to  leave  Hohenwald. 
"  What !"  he  cried,  "  are  you  going,  going  to  desert  my 
father  and  Celia  at  the  hour  of  their  sorest  need  ?  No,  Frau- 
lein  Miiller,  I  cannot  believe  this.  Tell  me  you  will  remain. 
My  infirm  old  father  and  Celia  cannot  do  without  you,  and  I 
— but  no,  I  will  not  speak  of  myself,  of  the  wretchedness  that 
the  thought  of  not  finding  you  here  upon  my  return  from  the 
war  would  caiise  me.  I  will  plead  only  for  my  father  and 
Celia.     Stay  with  us !  do  not  forsake  us !" 

"  It  must  not  be.  I  cannot  1"  Lucie  replied,  in  much 
agitation. 

"  Every  moment  is  precious !"  Ahlborn  exclaimed,  impa- 
tiently.    "  Farewell,  Herr  Baron !     Lucie,  take  my  arm." 

"  No,  father ;  you  must  grant  me  a  few  minutes  of  private 
conversation  with  Baron  von  Hohenwald.  I  owe  him  some 
explanation  of  my  conduct." 

"  Lucie,  take  care  !" 

"  It  must  be,  father ;  I  cannot  help  it.  I  will  follow  you 
in  a  few  minutes." 

"  You  are  your  own  mistress,"  Ahlborn  rejoined,  gnun- 


-■■ITS^P 


286  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

blingly.  "  You  must  do  aa  you  please,  only  I  implore  you 
to  remember  the  danger  that  lies  in  delay." 

He  touched  his  hat  to  Arno,  and  then  taking  the  Assessor's 
arm  and  accompanied  by  Kurt,  he  pursued  the  path  until  one 
of  its  windings  screened  Lucie  and  the  Baron  from  their  sight, 
when  they  paused  and  waited. 

Lucie  left  alone  with  Arno,  resolved  not  to  leave  him  until 
she  had  justified  herself  in  his  eyes,  and  yet  she  was  irreso- 
lute how  to  begin.  Her  cheeks  glowed  with  shame  at  the 
idea  of  imparting  to  him  the  sad  mystery  of  her  life,  and  yet 
the  precious  minutes  were  flying;  something  must  be  said 
immediately. 

"  And  you  are  really  going  to  leave  us?" 

This  simple  question  from  Arno  broke  the  silence  and 
relieved  Lucie's  hesitation.  "  I  must,  Herr  Baron,"  she  re- 
plied. "  I  had  hoped  to  find  a  home  in  Castle  Hohenwald,  but 
a  sad  fate  has  snatched  it  from  me." 

"  Am  I  the  cause  of  your  flight  ?"  Arno  eagerly  asked. 
"  Do  you  so  dread  the  few  hours  that  are  all  I  can  yet  pass 
in  the  castle  ?  I  leave  it  to-morrow.  Do  you  hate  me  so 
bitterly?" 

"  I  do  not  hate  you,"  Lucie  gently  replied.  And  in  her 
cajidid  eyes,  in  the  pressure  of  the  little  hand  that  still  rested 
in  his,  Amo  saw  that  she  spoke  the  truth.  "  You  are  not 
the  cause  of  my  leaving  Hohenwald.  Your  brother,  who  is 
now  at  the  castle,  will  teU  you  the  reasons  for  my  flight." 

"  Werner?     You  have  confided,  then,  in  him  ?" 

"No;  an  unfortunate  chance  betrayed  to  him  my  sad 
secret,  and  he  has  made  sad  use  of  it.  Even  without  his  in- 
terference I  should  have  followed  my  father,  who  is  restored 
to  me  after  years  of  hopeless  separation,  but  I  should  not  have 
been  forced  to  steal  away  thus,  like  a  criminal,  without  one 
word  of  farewell  to  your  father,  who  has  treated  me  with 
such  paternal  kindness." 


^>.;^vw.-»vjjSSi^:  ■-;>;.;.:;■■■  ■■-■-     ■,  -    ■^■>--    ;;,;-^;---"'^-_- /-^^'^--^  ,v^. --r:.  .v--y\'?^   .^^'f^',    -■'"■/,■  ^"^      ■  ■   '.      V'    .>■    i?  ;*-*^^?^=-r-  "  >    ■  -^?T^,7f^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD,  287 

"  You  speak  in  riddles.     I  do  not  comprehend  you." 

"  I  will  solve  them  for  you,"  Lucie  sadly  replied.  "  Yon 
will  comprehend  all  when  I  tell  you  that  the  man  whom  your 
brother  has  just  introduced  at  Castle  Hohenwald  is  the  cause 
of  my  misfortunes,  is  my  miserable  husband,  Herr  von  Sorr !" 

Amo  fairly  staggered  beneath  the  blow ;  he  dropped  Lucie's 
hand  and  gazed  at  her  in  horror.  "You  are — ^you — ^you 
are 

He  could  not  finish  the  sentence ;  hope  seemed  slain  within 
him ;  his  future  was  a  blank. 

"  Do  not  be  angry  with  me,"  Lucie  said,  taking  his  hand 
again.  "  I  implore  you  not  to  be  angry  with  me.  I  am  so 
wretchedly  unhappy.  I  could  not  part  from  you  without 
telling  you  the  whole  truth.  I  have  longed  to  do  this  so 
often,  and  I  have  bitterly  repented  ever  coming  to  Hohen- 
wald under  a  feigned  name." 

"  Lucie,  we  are  waiting  1"  Ahlbom  called  from  the  dis- 
tance. 

"  Must  I  leave  you  without  one  word  of  forgiveness  from 
you  ?"  Lucie  continued.  She  still  held  Amo's  hand  in  hers 
and  gazed  at  him  with  eyes  of  sad  entreaty.  Hitherto  she 
had  suppressed  all  expression  of  her  sentiments  towards  him. 
Never  in  the  intercourse  of  daily  life  at  Hohenwald  had  she 
for  an  instant  relaxed  in  the  stern  watch  and  ward  that  she 
kept  over  every  gesture,  every  look  that  might  encourage  any 
hope  in  his  mind.  But  this  was  a  supreme  moment ;  they 
were  parting  forever,  and  her  heart  clamoured  for  its  rights. 

Amo  was  profoundly  agitated.  Heart  and  mind  were  filled 
with  tumult.  Anna  the  wife  of  a  wretch  from  whom  she 
was  forced  to  flee!  He  suddenly  comprehended  why  she 
had  denied  him  all  hope ;  and  now,  as  he  looked  into  her 
miploring  eyes  and  felt  the  soft  pressure  of  her  hand,  the 
thought  thrilled  him  with  sudden  ecstsjsy  that  she  returned 
his  love,  that  her  lips  and  not  her  heart  had  rejected  his  affec- 


.   ■*:f>'.-T^-'ss*76»f3^ji» 


288  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

tion,  that  she  tad  but  fiilfillod  a  duty.  He  drew  her  closei 
to  him,  and  for  an  instant,  with  a  burning  blush,  she  yielded 
to  his  embrace. 

"  Lucie  !  Lucie  !"  came  Ahlborn's  warning  voice,  in  more 
impatient  tones  than  before. 

"  You  love  me  !"  Arno  whispered,  all  else  forgotten  in  the 
overwhelming  bliss  of  the  moment. 

Lucie  extricated  herself  from  his  embrace.  "  We  must 
part !"  she  said,  sadly.  "  Fate  divides  us  forever,  but  in  this 
last  sad  moment  let  me  implore  you  never  to  lose  confi- 
dence in  me,  whatever  you  may  hear  upon  your  return  to  the 
castle  !" 

"  Lucie  !  it  is  time  we  were  gone  !" 

"  I  must  go.  We  must  part,"  she  said.  Once  more  Arno 
clasped  her  to  his  heart  and  kissed  her  passionately.  She 
did  not  resist,  but  in  an  instant  turned  and  hurried  to  her 
father.  As  she  reached  the  winding  in  the  pathway  she 
turned,  waved  her  hand,  and  then  vanished  in  the  forest. 

Arno  gazed  after  her  like  one  in  a  dream,  conscious  only 
that  just  at  the  moment  when  the  blissful  certainty  was  his 
that  she  returned  his  love,  she  was  lost  to  him  forever.  She 
was  the  wife  of  another,  and  Werner,  his  brother,  had  brought 
to  Castle  Hohenwald  that  other,  her  unworthy  husband,  from 
whom  she  had  been  forced  to  flee  under  a  feigned  name.  In 
an  instant  he  comprehended  that  it  was  his  part  to  hasten 
to  his  father  and  espouse  Lucie's  cause.  As  he  entered 
the  castle  garden  he  observed  two  persons  walking  to  and 
fro  on  the  terrace :  one  was  his  brother,  the  other  then  was 
Sorr. 

The  garden-walk  wound  among  shrubbery,  whence  Arno 
could  watch  the  man  for  a  while  without  being  perceived, 
and  disgust  stirred  within  him  at  the  thought  that  a  man  so 
evidently  steeped  in  low  dissipation  should  be  Anna's  hus- 
band.    He  felt  that  he  hated  both  him   and  Werner,  who 


''^r- i;-Tajg4r 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  289 

had  brought  him  hither.    Resolved  to  defend  his  love  against 
them  both,  he  soon  reached  the  terrace. 

Werner  awaited  his  brother's  approach,  and  intercepted 
his  direct  entrance  to  the  garden-room.  A  malicious  smile 
played  about  his  lips  as  he  laid  his  hand  upon  Amo's  shoul- 
der. "  Are  you  in  too  great  a  hurry,  Amo,  to  spare  me  a 
word  of  greeting  when  we  have  not  seen  each  other  for  sev- 
eral days  ?  T  will  only  detain  you  for  one  moment,  however, 
to  present  to  you  in  Herr  von  Sorr  a  guest  whom  you  will 
doubtless  be  glad  to  welcome  when  I  tell  you  that  he  is  so 
fortunate  as  to  be  the  husband  of  the  beautiful  Frau  von 
Sorr  whom  we  have  learned  to  know  by  another  name.  For 
reasons  of  which  you  shall  be  informed  hereafter,  Frau  von 
Sorr  thought  fit  to  select  our  house  for  her  abode  under  a 
feigned  name.     We  know  her  as  Fraulein  Anna  Miiller." 

Werner  had  arranged  his  sentence  so  that  its  conclusion 
should  be  a  sudden  revelation  to  his  brother.  He  had  ex- 
ulted in  the  prospect  of  Amo's  amazement  and  horror  at  the 
intelligence  that  Anna  Miiller  was  Sorr's  wife,  but  to  his  as- 
tonishment his  brother  did  not  betray  the  slightest  surprise, 
bestowing  only  a  slight  glance  at  the  ''  guest,"  who,  hat  in 
hand,  but  in  evident  con^ion,  stammered  various  conven- 
tional phrases  suitable,  as  he  thought,  to  the  occasion. 

Werner  could  not  understand  Amo's  unlooked-for  com- 
posure, and  when  his  brother  coldly  rejoined,  "  Frau  von  Sorr 
has  already  informed  me  of  your  bringing  this  gentleman  to 
Hohenwald,"  he  hastily  exclaimed,  "  You  have  spoken  with 
Frau  von  Sorr  ?" 

"  Not  long  ago." 

"  And  she  told  you  that  I  was  at  the  castle  with  her  huH 
band  ?" 

«  Yes." 

"  She  must  have  seen  us  then  as  we  drove  hither." 

"  Very  probably." 

T  26 


-  i-m^y^^ 


290  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Why,  then,  does  she  not  come  to  my  father  ?  She  is  evi- 
dently avoiding  us.  Where  did  you  see  her  ?  My  father  ha^ 
been  waiting  impatiently  for  her  for  more  than  half  an  hour." 

"  Indeed  ?    Then  it  will  gratify  him  to  learn  tidings  of  her." 

And  with  these  words  Arno  passed  on  into  the  garden-room  ; 
but  in  the  doorway  he  observed  that  Werner  and  Sorr  were 
following  him  ;  he  paused  therefore,  and,  barring  the  way, 
said,  gravely,  "  The  tidings  that  I  bring  of  Fraulein  Anna 
Miiller  are  for  my  father's  ear  alone." 

"  Herr  von  Sorr  certainly  has  a  right  to  know  where  his 
wife  is  and  what  you  have  to  say  to  my  father  with  regard 
to  her." 

"  The  devil  he  has  !"  the  Freiherr  angrily  exclaimed.  "  I 
told  you  before,  Werner,  that  you  are  to  remain  out  upon 
the  terrace  with  your  Herr  von  Sorr  until  I  call  you.  No 
man  in  the  world,  and  this  Herr  von  Son  least  of  all,  has  a 
right  to  hear  what  my  son  wishes  to  tell  me  alone.  Under- 
stand that,  Herr  Finanzrath.  Now  go !  I  wish  to  be  alone 
with  Arno  !" 

Werner  suppressed  the  angry  retort  that  rose  to  his  lips, 
and,  withdrawing  once  more,  paced  the  terrace  impatiently 
with  Sorr.  He  knew  that  when  his  father  was  as  angry  as 
at  present  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  obey. 

"  What  have  you  to  tell  me  of  Fraulein  Anna  ?  I  will  still 
call  her  by  the  name  I  love.  I  can  hardly  believe  that  she 
is  the  wife  of  that  low-looking  scoundrel,"  the  Freiherr  said, 
when  Arno  had  taken  his  accustomed  seat  beside  his  chair. 

His  son  as  briefly  and  as  simply  as  possible  told  of  his  in- 
terview with  her  in  the  forest, — how  she  had  presented  her 
father  to  him  and  told  him  that  she  was  forced  to  flee  from 
her  unworthy  husband.  He  also  delivered  Anna's  farewell  to 
the  Freiherr,  and  her  entreaty  that  no  one  would  judge  her 
harshly,  but  wait  until  a  letter  from  her  should  explain  all. 

The  old  Baron  interrupted  his  son  frequently  with  excla- 


•■JF-5*-  i.ir?^*' *'Y^ -*^  ^  (*  ts^* 


CASTLE  IIOHENWALD.  291 

mations  of  surprise  and  with  questions,  and  when  he  had 
concluded,  declarpd  "  It  is  a  most  extraordinary  stoiy,  and  I 
can  make  nothing  of  it;  but  I  am  glad  you  said  nothing 
about  her  to  those  fellows  outside,  for  Werner  is  evidently 
hand  in  glove  with  this  precious  Herr  von  Sorr.  What  they 
want  I  cannot  imagine ;  perhaps  you  may  guess  when  you 
hear  that  fellow's  story."  The  Freiherr  then  related  as  briefly 
as  he  could  the  tale  told  him  by  Sorr,  adding,  finally,  "  I  must 
do  the  man  the  justice  to  say  that  he  acknowledged  that  he 
alone  was  to  blame  in  his  quarrel  with  his  wife ;  he  never 
accused  her,  and  I  might  have  put  some  faith  in  his  protes- 
tations if  it  had  not  been  for  the  scoundrelly  hang-dog 
look  of  him.  I  don't  believe  one  word  of  his  repentance  and 
change  of  life.  There  is  a  screw  loose  somewhere  in  his 
story  about  Count  Repuin.  K  he  had  fought  a  duel  with 
the  Russian  is  it  likely  that  Werner  would  bring  his  friend's 
mortal  foe  here  ?  I  had  hoped  to  hear  the  truth  from  Frau- 
lein  Anna,  but  now  that  she  has  gone,  what's  to  be  done  I 
don't  know." 

"  Celia  may  tell  us  something." 

"  True,  she  may ;  that's  an  idea !"  the  Freiherr  exclaimed. 
"  She  went  with  Anna  into  the  forest.  Gro,  Amo,  and  bring 
the  child  here." 

Arno  found  Celia  in  her  own  room,  and  with  dif&culty  per- 
suaded her  to  accompany  him  to  her  father's  presence  ;  where, 
until  Arno  finally  told  her  of  his  late  interview  with  her  dear 
Anna,  she  refused  to  give  any  information  with  regard  to 
Fraulein  Miiller's  disappearance.  Then,  however,  she  told 
the  little  that  she  knew ;  no  more,  indeed,  than  what  Arno 
had  already  learned,  that  Anna  was  forced  against  her  will 
to  leave  the  castle  instantly  to  escape  a  great  peril,  and  that 
she  would  shortly  write  and  explain  all. 

"  We  are  no  wiser  than  we  were  before,"  the  Freiherr  de- 
clared, when  Celia  had  finished  speaking.     "  We  know  that 


^■•Wf"'WK!P" 


202  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

she  has  fled,  but  we  do  not  know  why  or  whither ;  there  is 
some  comfort  in  the  thought  that  she  is  with  her  father,  and 
the  question  now  is,  what  is  to  be  done  with  those  two  fellows 
outside.  I  must  give  them  some  answer."  As  he  spoke,  the 
Freiherr  glanced  towards  Werner  and  Sorr,  and  observed  to 
his  surprise  that  they  were  no  longer  alone.  A  man,  hat  in 
hand,  was  handing  Werner  a  letter.  "  Is  that  not  Hesse,  our 
old  Inspector?"  the  Freiherr  inquired  of  Arno.  "Look, 
Amo,  how  agitated  Werner  seems;  he  must  have  received 
some  important  intelligence  ;  yes,  here  he  comes  again,  with- 
out waiting  for  a  summons." 

Werner,  followed  by  Sorr,  now  hurriedly  entered.  "  I  can 
wait  no  longer,  father,"  he  said,  approaching  the  Freiherr. 
'  I  must  beg  you  to  decide  instantly.  Important  infor- 
mation which  I  have  just  received  forces  me  to  leave  here 
immediately  with  Herr  von  Sorr.  I  trust  Frau  von  Sorr 
will  accompany  us.  Surely  you  will  not  deny  a  husband 
his  rights, — will  not  compel  him  to  have  recourse  to  the 
law." 

The  Freiherr  did  not  reply. 

"  I  entreat  you,  sir,  to  delay  no  longer, — every  moment  is 
precious,"  Werner  went  on.  "  Any  long  stay  here  is  fraught 
with  peril  for  me." 

"  I  will  not  delay  you  ;  go  when  you  please." 

"  Shall  I  have  come  in  vain  ?  Will  not  Frau  von  Sorr 
accompany  her  husband  ?" 

"  I  have  no  right  to  detain  her." 

"  But  you  allow  her  to  reside  in  the  castle,  while  duty  calls 
her  to  follow  her  husband.  You  sustain  her  in  her  dis- 
obedience to  duty  by  permitting  her  to  remain  beneath  your 
roof." 

"  What  a  shameful  accusation  !"  Arno  cried,  indignantly, 
but  his  father  interrupted  him. 

"  Hush,  Amo  !"  he  said,  authoritatively.    "  I  will  have  no 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  293 

disputing  between  you  brothers.      My  decision  is  made ;  I 
will  not  interfere  between  Herr  von  Sorr  and  his  wife  1" 

"  You  will  not  shelter  her,  sir  ?"  Werner  asked. 

"No!" 

"  Thank  you.     I  expected  no  less  of  you." 

A  contemptuous  smile  played  about  the  Freiherr's  lips  as 
he  rejoined,  "  I  am  greatly  flattered.  Thus  the  whole  matter 
is  ended.  You  can  find  Frau  von  Sorr,  and  tell  her  from  me 
that  I  can  no  longer  permit  her  to  stay  in  Castle  Hohen- 
wald.  The  rest  is  your  affair,  or  rather  that  of  Herr  von 
Sorr,  whom  I  must  now  beg  to  leave  me.  I  am  far  from  well, 
and  will  hear  nothing  further ;  therefore  adieu  to  both  of  you. 
Find  Frau  von  Sorr,  compel  her  to  go  with  her  husband,  or 
do  what  you  please,  only  leave  me  in  peace.  Success  to  you, 
Herr  von  Sorr ;  adieu,  Werner !" 

The  old  man  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and  by  an  imperiouB 
wave  of  the  hand  dismissed  his  son. 

Werner  left  the  apartment,  followed  by  Sorr,  whose  ftd- 
some  gratitude  the  Freiherr  cut  short  by  another  impatient 
wave  of  the  hand.  As  soon  as  they  had  left  the  room,  ^ 
Werner,  still  accompanied  by  Sorr,  hurried  first  to  the  library 
where  he  hoped  to  find  Lucie,  and  then  up-stairs,  where  the 
maid  informed  them  that  Fraulein  Miiller  had  not  been  seen 
since  four  o'clock,  when  she  had  gone  for  a  walk  with  Frau- 
lein Celia ;  old  Franz  had  searched  both  garden  and  park  for 
her  in  vain. 

Werner  burst  into  a  rage  at  this  information  of  the  maid's. 
"  Amo  saw  her !"  he  exclaimed,  when  he  was  once  more 
alone  with  Sorr  in  the  castle  court-yard.  ''  He  knows  where 
she  is,  and  must  tell  us  where  to  find  her."  He  then  re- 
turned to  the  garden-room  alone,  leaving  Sorr  to  await  him 
in  the  court-yard.  The  reception  he  met  with  was  of  the 
coldest;  his  father  swore  he  would  not  hear  a  word  ft'om 

him,  Aruo  refused  to  answer  any  questions,  and  Celia  cod 

2§* 


294  CASTLE  EOHENWALD. 

tinned  her  performance  of  one  of  her  father's  favourite 
sonatas  without  deigning  even  to  look  at  him.  He  dared 
not  linger  longer  in  the  castle, — there  was  nothing  for  it 
but  to  return  to  the  court-yard,  where  the  vehicle  in  which 
he  had  arrived  stood  ready  for  departure. 

"  We  must  go,  Herr  von  Sorr,"  said  Werner ;  "  time 
flies.  My  father,  brother,  and  sister  are  evidently  in  league 
with  your  wife ;  they  know  where  she  is,  but  utterly  refuse 
to  tell, — it  would  take  hours  to  find  her,  and  every  moment 
is  priceless." 

"  We  cannot  leave  without  my  wife ;  I  do  not  dare  to 
confront  Repuin  without  her." 

"  Then  stay  here  ;  I  am  going,"  Werner  resolutely  de- 
clared. "  I  will  not  imperil  my  freedom  by  a  fruitless  search, 
and  besides  we  may  chance  to  meet  her  on  our  way.  Will  you 
come  ?"  He  opened  the  carriage-door  and  sprang  in.  Sorr 
hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  followed  him  ;  the  coachman 
whipped  up  his  horses,  and  they  galloped  oflF  at  a  rattling  pace 

Not  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  had  elapsed  when  there 
appeared,  on  the  road  to  the  castle  along  which  they  had  so 
lately  passed,  a  mounted  gendarme,  preceding,  by  another 
quarter  of  an  hour,  an  open  barouche,  in  which  sat  three  gen- 
tlemen, two  oflScers  and  a  civilian.  Colonel  von  Schlichting, 
with  his  adjutant,  Lieutenant  von  Styrum,  and  the  famous, 
or,  as  some  would  have  it,  the  notorious  police  official,  the 
Geheimrath  Steuber,  from  Berlin ;  a  second  civilian,  his 
assistant,  sat  on  the  box  beside  the  coachman. 

The  gendarme,  when  in  sight  of  the  castle,  awaited  the 
barouche,  behind  which  came  a  detachment  of  mounted 
dragoons,  and  reported  that  he  had  seen  nothing  suspicious, 
uo  carriage  either  going  towards  or  coming  from  the  castle. 

"  The  birds  are  probably  not  yet  flown,"  the  Geheimrath 
Baid,  rubbing  his  hands  and  chuckling.     "  The  castle  can  be 


pgfj^pp^:?^°^^JFg'|pg-^e^-i^»^^;^^tSigg^B3Wgp°^  -  '^jm  ij  fi'^i^i^i^'      -  «»^^r 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  295 

approached  only  in  this  direction.  I  waa  afraid  upon  learning 
at  the  station  that  immediately  after  our  arrival  a  carriage 
and  a  horseman  had  left  it  at  ftill  speed  that  they  might  have 
got  wind  of  our  coming,  but  now  I  rather  think  we  shall  find 
the  entire  band  of  conspirators,  including  Count  Repuin, 
together." 

The  Geheimrath  was  evidently  elated  at  the  prospect  of  a 
good  haul.  There  was  a  smile  upon  his  ugly  face,  which,  to 
Count  Styrum,  made  it  look  uglier  still,  and  his  view  was 
shared  by  Count  Sehliehting.  Both  officers  were  fiilfilling  a 
disagreeable  duty ;  they  had  received  their  orders  from  the 
highest  authority,  and  were  instructed  if  the  arrest  of  the 
Freiherr  von  Hohenwald  were  really  unavoidable,  to  proceed 
with  the  greatest  caution  and  delicacy.  Count  Sehliehting 
and  Count  Styrum,  the  latter  of  whom  was  but  just  re-ad- 
mitted to  military  service,  had  personally  been  informed  by 
their  august  commander  how  painftil  it  was  to  him  to  issue 
orders  for  a  search  of  Castle  Hohenwald,  which  might  result 
in  the  arrest  of  the  Freiherr  and  his  son  Amo  in  addition  to 
that  of  the  Finanzrath  and  Count  Repuin,  which  had  already 
been  ordered.  Stem  necessity  alone  had  overcome  considera- 
tions which  would  else  have  prevailed  even  with  the  highest 
authorities,  and  both  search  and  arrests  were  confided  to  the 
charge  of  the  famous  Greheimrath,  who  was  at  the  head  of  all 
investigations  of  the  treasonable  combinations  still  existing 
after  war  had  been  declared.  Thus  the  police  official  was,  in 
fact,  the  leader  of  this  expedition  to  Hohenwald,  although  for 
form's  sake  he  appeared  as  the  colonel's  assistant,  and  this 
galled  the  old  soldier,  for  the  Greheimrath's  past  was  more 
than  questionable ;  he  owed  his  lofty  position  entirely  to  his 
cunning.  Sehliehting  would  gladly  have  replied  harshly  to 
the  exultation  of  the  man  who,  with  his  old,  wrinkled  face  and 
large,  prominent  eyes  glaring  through  round  spectacle-glasses, 
looked  Mke  nothing  s )  much  as  a  malicious  and  evil-minded 


296  CASTLE  HOHEXWALD. 

kobold,  but  considerations  of  duty  kept  liiuj  silent  Styrum^ 
however,  felt  bound  by  no  such  considerations,  and  when 
the  Gehoimrath  went  so  far  as  to  stif^matize  all  the  inmates 
of  the  castle  as  conspirators  he  indignantly  repeated  the 
obnoxious  word,  and  added,  in  a  deeply -offended  tone,  "  You 
would  do  well,  Horr  Geheimrath,  to  be  better  informed  before 
you  apply  such  an  epithet  to  the  old  Freiherr  von  Hohen- 
wald  or  to  my  comrade  and  friend,  the  Freiherr  Arno.  As 
to  the  latter,  I  can  voiich  for  his  patriotism  and  devotion  to 
his  country ;  he  is  incapable  of  treason,  and  there  is  nothing 
but  unfounded  rumour,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  that  can  cause 
you  to  regard  the  old  Freiherr  as  a  conspirator." 

The  colonel  nodded  approvingly  to  the  younger  oflBcer, 
while  the  Geheimrath  looked  at  him  with  a  smile  half  of  pity 
and  half  of  contempt  as  he  replied,  "  It  is  the  privilege  of 
youth  to  trust  and  to  hope ;  you  must  not  wonder,  however, 
that  with  my  experience  I  am  readier  to  believe  in  guilt  than 
in  innocence.  This,  however,  shall  not  prevent  me  from 
searching  with  equal  vigilance  for  proof  of  the  innocence  as 
well  as  of  the  guilt  of  those  under  suspicion.  If  your  friend 
is,  as  you  believe,  innocent,  his  fate  is  in  good  hands ;  I  am 
terrible  only  for  the  guilty." 

"  And  you  believe  that  Baron  Arno  may  be  guilty?' 
"  I  believe  nothing,  Herr  Count.  I  only  know  that  there 
are  incontestable  proofs  that  the  Finanzrath  von  Hohen- 
wald  has  treasonable  relations  with  Count  Repuin  and  other 
French  agents ;  that  he  has  employed  leave  of  absence 
granted  him  from  official  duty  to  make  various  expeditions 
from  Castle  Hohenwald  to  the  large  South  German  cities, 
always  returning  thither  again,  and  that  in  his  letters  he  has 
expressed  the  hope  of  winning  over  his  father  and  brother  to 
what  he  calls  the  '  good  cause.'  I  know  further  that  he  has 
jattly  developed  a  feverish  activity,  and  that  this  very  morn- 
ing he  arrived  at  Station  A in  company  with  Count 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  297 

Repuin,  the  most  dangerous  of  all  the  French  agents,  doubt- 
less intending  to  visit  Castle  Hohenwald  in  order  to  mature 
with  their  associates  those  arrangements  that  cannot  be  con- 
fided to  paper.  Therefore  you  must  not  be  offended,  Hen- 
Count,  if  an  old  police  official  makes  use  of  the  word  '  con- 
spirator' in  designating  these  associates.  If  your  friend  Baron 
Arno  is  no  conspirator  so  much  the  better,  but  at  present 
his  ease  has  an  ugly  look,  and  I  must  warn  you  both,  gen- 
tlemen, not  to  allow  your  belief  in  his  innocence  to  betray  you 
into  any  action  detrimental  to  the  success  of  our  expedition 
hither." 

"  We  know  our  duty,  and  need  no  reminder  that  it  is  to  be 
fulfilled,"  the  colonel  haughtily  replied. 

"  I  am  convinced  of  it,  and  beg  to  assure  you  that  no  '  re- 
minder' was  intended,"  Steuber  rejoined,  after  which,  leaning 
back  in  the  carriage,  he  made  no  further  attempts  at  conver- 
sation. 

Arrived  in  the  castle  court-yard,  the  Gleheimrath  sprang 
out  of  the  barouche  with  youthful  agility,  and  after  a  few 
whispered  words  to  his  assistant,  requested  the  colonel,  who 
followed  hiTTi  somewhat  less  briskly,  to  place  guards  at  every 
point  of  egress  ftova.  the  castle  into  the  garden,  and  then  to 
present  him  to  the  Freiherr  von  Hohenwald.  "  The  sooner 
the  search  is  begun,"  he  added,  "  the  more  secure  we  are  of 
results." 

With  the  best  grace  he  could  muster  the  colonel  ordered 
Styrum  to  place  guards  as  required. 

Meanwhile,  old  Franz,  hearing  the  clatter  of  the  horses 
upon  the  stones  of  the  court-yard,  made  his  appearance, 
staring  in  dismay  at  the  strangers  who  dared,  against  his 
master's  commands,  thus  to  invade  Castle  Hohenwald. 

"  We  wish  to  speak  with  the  Herr  Freiherr  von  Hohen- 
wald.    Conduct  us  to  your  master  !" 

Franz  gazed  open-mouthed  at  the  man  who  uttered  theso 


298  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

words  in  an  imperious  tone.  What,  show  a  stranger  into  hia 
master's  room  unannounced,  and  no  permission  asked  !  It  waa 
inconceivable. 

"  The  Herr  Baron  cannot  see  any  one." 

"  He  will  see  us  !" 

"  No ;  the  Herr  Baron  has  expressly  ordered  that  no 
strangers  are  to  be  announced." 

"  You  are  not  to  announce  us,  but  to  conduct  us  to  him  !" 
And  as  he  spoke,  the  man  with  the  spectacles  had  so  threat- 
ening an  air  that  old  Franz  felt  constrained  to  obey.  "  This 
way,  then  !"  he  said,  sullenly,  leading  the  way  to  the  garden- 
room,  followed  by  the  colonel  and  the  Geheimrath. 

Fatigued  and  agitated,  after  Werner's  departure  the  old 
Freiherr  lay  wearily  back  in  his  rolling-chair,  his  thoughts 
busy  with  Anna,  who  had  so  often  sung  him  the  very  song 
that  Celia  was  now  beginning  to  play  on  the  piano.  Arno 
sat  beside  him  silent  and  sad,  listening  to  his  sister's  charming 
rendering  of  the  well-known  melody. 

"  It  is  past  ;  and  all  is  so  diflferent  fi-om  what  I  had  hoped," 
the  Freiherr  said,  after  a  long  pause,  taking  his  son's  hand  and 
pressing  it.     "  She  has  left  us,  and  all  my  hopes  are  crushed." 

"  What  were  your  hopes,  father  ?" 

"  It  is  useless  to  speak  of  them."  Another  pause  ensued ; 
the  old  Baron  sadly  gazing  at  his  son,  who  was  again  lost  in 
thought.  Then  he  spoke  once  more,  "  Tell  me  frankly,  Arno, 
am  I  wrong  in  thinking  that  our  Anna  had  grown  very  dear 
to  you  ?" 

At  this  unexpected  question  Arno  hastily  started  from  hia 
seat,  and  paced  the  apartment  to  and  fro,  then  paused  and 
confronted  his  father.  "  Why  ask  such  a  question  ?"  he  said, 
reproachfully.  "  What  is  to  you,  father,  or  to  any  one, 
whether  I  loved  or  hated  her  ?  Our  Anna,  do  you  call  her  ? 
Have  you  forgotten  that  she  is  the  wife  of  that  wretch  whoa 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  299 

Werner  has  chosen  for  his  friend  ?  She  is  Frau  von  Sorr  ! 
Do  you  know,  father,  that  at  times  I  think  the  thought  will 
drive  me  mad  !" 

"  I  thought  so  !"  the  old  Baron  rejoined,  taking  his  son's 
hand  as  he  stood  before  him.  "  It  has  been  so  great  a  pleasure 
to  me  to  watch  you  during  these  last  few  weeks.  My  Amo  will 
be  happy  after  all,  I  thought.  I  dreamed  of  her  as  the  lovely 
mistress  of  Hohenwald,  and  now — now  it  is  all  over." 

Amo  did  not  reply.  Again  he  paced  the  room  restlessly 
to  and  fro,  never  heeding  the  unusual  bustle  that  had  arisen 
in  the  court-yard. 

The  Freiherr  too  was  only  aroused  from  his  brooding 
reverie  by  the  sound  of  footsteps  in  the  hall  and  the  sudden 
flinging  wide  of  the  doors  to  admit  Count  Schlichting,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Greheimrath  Steuber,  while  almost  at  the  same 
moment  steps  resounded  upon  the  terrace,  and  two  dragoons 
with  drawn  sabres  stationed  themselves  at  the  glass  door  lead- 
ing to  the  garden.  At  this  sight  the  old  Baron's  sadness  was 
converted  into  violent  anger.  "  Thunder  and  lightning, 
Franz  !  How  dare  you  introduce  visitors  unannounced  !"  he 
exclaimed,  furiously,  to  the  old  servant,  who  stood  in  the 
doorway  quite  uncertain  which  to  fear  more,  his  master  or 
the  terrible  man  in  spectacles. 

"  Don't  scold  your  servant,  old  friend,"  said  Count  Schlich- 
ting, approaching  the  Freiherr's  rolling-chair  and  taking  his 
reluctant  hand.  "  He  conducted  myself  and  this  gentleman 
hither  only  upon  compulsion.  And  we  do  not  intrude  volun- 
tarily upon  your  seclusion,  but  in  obedience  to  an  august 
command,  which,  I  am  sure,  will  be  respected  by  the  Freiherr 
von  Hohenwald." 

The  Freiherr  gazed  at  the  colonel  with  flashing  eyes.  He 
ha<l  not  seen  him  for  more  than  fifteen  years,  and  had  not  at 
first  recoarnized  him.  Now  he  remembered  his  old  friend 
well,  but  his  anger  was  not  diminished  thereby,  and  he  had 


300  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

to  put  the  greatest  restraint  upon  himself  to  suppress  another 
outbreak.  He  looked  from  the  colonel  to  the  Geheimrath, 
and  then  out  upon  the  terrace  at  the  two  dragoons  stationed 
there,  and  the  case  suddenly  became  clear  to  him.  He  was 
not  surprised  that  suspicion  should  attach  to  him  in  conse- 
quence of  Werner's  intrigues.  True,  he  had  never  contem- 
plated being  arrested,  but  his  anger  died  away  when  he  re- 
flected that  the  colonel  was  merely  fulfilling  his  duty  as  a 
soldier,  and  he  had  no  fear  of  consequences,  for  he  was  con 
scious  of  his  innocence. 

Quickly  regaining  his  composure,  he  returned  the  pressure 
of  the  colonel's  hand  and  said,  "  Those  two  blue  fellows  out 
there  explain  the  'august  command'  which  brings  my  old 
friend  here.  It  is  not  your  fault  that  you  must  fulfil  your  duty, 
which,  however,  may  perhaps  allow  you  to  inform  me  why  the 
Freiherr  von  Hohenwald  is  arrested  in  his  own  castle." 

''  Not  quite  that  yet,  old  friend, — no  fear  of  that,"  the 
colonel  replied,  kindly.  "  My  orders  certainly  are  to  arrest 
the  Finanzrath,  your  eldest  son,  and  Count  Repuin,  your 
guest,  and  to  assist  this  gentleman,  the  Greheimrath  Steuber, 
from  Berlin,  in  the  execution  of  his  orders,  which  are  to 
bearch  the  castle  for  treasonable  matter.  Until  this  is  over 
I  must  indeed  beg  you  not  to  leave  this  room." 

"  A  request  with  which  I  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  comply- 
ing, since  I  am,  as  you  see,  confined  to  my  rolling-chair,"  the 
Freiherr  replied,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  see  it  with  regret ;  but  this  gentleman  also, — Baron 
Arno  von  Hohenwald,  if  I  do  not  mistake," — Arno  bowed 
in  silence, — "  and  the  young  lady," — the  colonel  greeted  Celia 
with  chivalrous  courtesy, — "  I  must  entreat  to  remain  here 
until  my  disagreeable  duty  is  finished.  The  first  and  hardest 
part  of  it,  unfortunately,  concerns  your  eldest  son  and  Count 
Repuin,  for  whom  I  am  forced  to  make  search.'" 

"  It  will  be  fruitless,"  the  Freiherr  quietly  replied.     "  My 


'■'-^'^^i^^^m"!""--"-       '■  ;-£,"■  .-,.--  T-.i^.     s.  ■   ,     .  ',    .        '-  ■:-    M:-"H^i. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  301 

jon  Werner  was  in  the  castle,  but  he  left  it  more  than  half 
an  hour  ago.  Count  Repuin  I  do  not  know.  He  has  never 
been  my  guest." 

"  That  is  not  true  !"  the  Geheimrath  exclaimed.  "  The 
Count  certainly  accompanied  the  Finanzrath  to  Hohenwald, — 
both  must  be  concealed  in  the  castle  !" 

"  Sir !  how  dare  you  accuse  me  of  falsehood  1"  the  Freiherr 
burst  out ;  but  the  colonel  laid  his  hand  upon  the  old  man's 
shoulder  and  said,  kindly,  "  Be  calm,  old  friend.  The  Herr 
Geheimrath  has  in  his  zeal  for  duty  made  use  of  a  wrong  ex- 
pression. He  cannot  mean  to  accuse  of  falsehood  a  noble- 
man whom  he  has  been  ordered  to  treat  with  the  greatest 
consideration.     He  will  apologize  for  his  error." 

This  the  G-eheimrath  immediately  did,  conscious  that  he  was 
in  the  wrong,  and  never  reluctant  to  make  use  of  smooth 
words.  Nevertheless  he  maintained  that  both  the  Finanzrath 
and  Repuin  were  probably  still  in  the  castle,  although  without 
the  Freiherr's  knowledge.  He  chose  his  apologetic  phrases 
BO  well  that  the  old  Baron  was  entirely  appeased,  and  even 
condescended  so  far  as  to  explain  that  a  certain  Herr  von 
Sorr,  and  not  Count  Repuin,  had  been  his  son's  companion, 
and  that  they  had  left  the  castle  together  about  half  an  hour 
previously. 

"  For  this  you  have  my  friend's  word,"  the  colonel 
remarked. 

"  The  word  of  honour  of  the  Herr  Freiherr  von  Hohen- 
wald will  suffice  me,"  the  police  official  rejoined. 

"  My  simple  assertion  must  suffice  you,  sir,"  the  old  man 
burst  forth  again. 

The  Geheimrath  looked  keenly  at  him  for  a  moment,  and 
then  said,  with  a  courteous  bow,  "  It  is  the  word  of  a  man 
of  honour,  and  therefore  a  word  of  honour ;  it  suffices  en- 
tirely. May  I  now  beg  the  ^err  Baron  to  allow  me  to 
proceed  in  my  search  of  the  castle  ?" 


^^-j^-^,'^,- J.*. 


J.-..^. 


302  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say ;  do  your  duty  !" 

"  For  the  present,  then,  Herr  Baron,  I  take  my  leave,  only 
requesting  that  the  colonel  will  accord  me  the  assistance  of 
his  adjutant  in  my  search,  if  he  would  himself  prefer  remain- 
ing here  with  his  old  friend,  I  hope  shortly  to  be  able  to 
report  to  you  the  result  of  what  I  feel  convinced  will  be  a 
fruitless  investigation." 

This  proposal  was  most  welcome  to  the  colonel,  who  re- 
joiced to  pass  the  time  with  his  friend  instead  of  assisting 
in  searching  the  castle,  a  duty  that  would  have  been  ex- 
tremely repugnant  to  the  old  soldier  He  therefore  acceded 
to  all  the  Gi-eheimrath  said,  and  Steuber  left  the  room. 

Outside,  his  first  care  was  to  despatch  his  assistant  upon  a 
fleet  horse,  taken  from  one  of  the  dragoons,  to  intercept  the 
flight  of  the  Finanzrath  and  Repuio,  giving  the  man  the 
most  minute  directions  as  to  how  this  was  to  be  done,  and 
how  he  should  procure  the  assistance  necessary  to  his  success 
in  so  doing. 

Then  he  turned  to  old  Franz,  over  whom  two  dragoons  had 
mounted  guard,  and  demanded  his  guidance  over  the  castle 
Poor  Franz  was  so  completely  subdued  by  the  martial  array 
about  him,  and  above  all  so  terrified  by  the  glance  of  the  eyes 
behind  the  spectacles,  that  he  obeyed  with  submissive  promp- 
titude. Encountering  in  the  hall  Count  Styrum,  who  had 
just  concluded  the  posting  of  his  dragoons,  Steuber  detained 
him  as  he  was  about  to  pass  on  to  the  garden-room,  and  said, 
"  May  I  pray  you  to  follow  me,  Herr  Count  ?  The  colonel 
has  permitted  me  to  demand  your  assistance  in  the  search  I 
am  about  to  begin." 

Styrum  would  gladly  have  refrised  to  fulfil  so  disagreeable  a 
duty ;  his  pride  rebelled  against  assisting  in  a  search  in  his 
friend's  house,  but  the  Geheimrath,  who  suspected  what  was 
in  his  mind,  soothed  his  wounded  sense  of  honour  by  adding, 
"  I  do  not  ask  you,  Count,  to  take  any  pai^t  in  this  search. 


»^'^SS(ik5iw?P"'>''^'^:'''     .'•:■,.      :■:'■'',•-:':,'     :•       •  "-'--S^  ;r~.  ■■-,".-■ .'  ;">    -Sr^^fv 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  303 

nrhicli  indeed  I  now  believe  will  be  entirely  fruitless.  The 
aid  I  need,  and  which  your  superior  officer  permits  me  to 
require  at  your  hands,  consists  simply  in  your  presence  as  a 
witness  during  my  search.  Thus  you  are  a  substitute,  as  it 
were,  for  your  friend  Baron  Arno  von  Hohenwald,  to  whom 
you  may  be  able  to  render  essential  service.  May  I  look 
for  your  kind  compliance  with  my  wish  ?" 

"  I  am  ready,"  Styrum  replied,  and,  with  old  Franz  for  a 
guide,  they  betook  themselves  to  Werner's  apartment. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


The  Finanzrath,  when  he  stayed  at  the  castle,  occupied  a 
spacious  room  in  a  retired  wing,  where,  between  the  windows, 
stood  his  writing-table  with  its  many  drawers  and  compart- 
ments. This  inmiediately  attracted  the  Greheimrath's  atten- 
tion. Upon  it  lay  an  unopened  letter,  which  Steuber  at 
once  took  possession  of  and  coolly  opened.  Looking  up  as 
he  did  so,  he  smiled  at  the  expression  of  an  outraged  sense 
of  honour  on  Styrum's  face,  and  then  read  the  letter  aloud. 
"  Make  no  fiirther  attempt  to  win  over  your  father  and  brother, 
— it  might  be  dangerous.  Unfortunately,  some  of  our  friends 
have  been  very  imprudent.  I  have  received  trustworthy  in- 
formation that  many  of  us  are  under  strict  surveillance.  The 
greatest  caution  is  necessary ;  a  new  associate  could  avail  us 
little, — one  traitor  might  ruin  us.  Your  brother's  friend, 
Count  Styrum,  has  already  applied  for  re-admission  to  the 
army ;  if  your  brother  should  do  likewise,  he  will  rank  among 
our  foes,  not  our  friends.  Therefore  I  must  entreat  you  to 
acquaint  neither  your  father  nor  your  brother  with  any  of  our 


:^04  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

plans.  More  when  we  meet ;  until  then  be  upon  your  guard  !" 
"  And  this  precious  epistle  is  signed  '  A,'  "  the  Geheimrath 
added.  "  It  tells  me  nothing  new  of  the  Finanzrath  or  his 
friends,  but  it  hints  strongly  that  neither  the  old  Freiherr 
nor  his  younger  son  knows  anything  of  the  Herr  Finanzrath's 
schemes.  Do  you  still  think  I  did  wrong  to  open  the  letter, 
Count  ?" 

Without  waiting  for  a  reply  the  Geheimrath  went  on  to 
search  in  the  most  careful  manner  every  drawer  and  pigeon- 
hole of  Werner's  desk,  but  his  trouble  was  vain.  The  drawers 
were  all  unlocked,  but  not  one  piece  of  written  paper  was  to 
be  found  anywhere.  "  Hm  !  the  Herr  Finanzrath  has  been 
expecting  me,"  Steuber  muttered,  impatiently.  "  There  is 
nothing  here,  and  I  have  searched  everything  except  the 
waste-paper  basket."  Thereupon  he  proceeded  to  examine 
all  the  papers  it  contained,  worthless  scraps,  one  and  all, 
until  nothing  remained  except  some  small  fragments  at  the 
very  bottom  of  the  basket.  Then,  while  the  Count  looked  on 
in  impatient  wonder,  he  carefully  assorted  these,  perceiving 
that  they  consisted  of  two  kinds  of  paper,  one  bluish  and  stiflF, 
the  other  creamy  and  delicate,  murmuring,  as  he  did  so, 
"  There  can  hardly  be  more  than  two  notes  here,  or  the 
number  of  scraps  would  be  greater." 

Styrum's  interest  began  to  be  aroused.  Since  the  Geheim- 
rath now  seemed  inclined  to  believe  in  the  innocence  of  Amo 
and  his  father  he  was  no  longer  so  distasteftd  to  the  Count, 
who  testified  his  awakening  interest  by  drawing  a  chair  up 
to  the  table  and  closely  watching  the  arrangement  of  the 
fragments  of  paper.  His  attention  flattered  the  Geheimrath, 
who  showed  himself  in  the  most  amiable  humour.  "  We  will 
first  undertake  the  strong,  bluish  paper,"  he  said ;  "  there  are 
fewer  of  the  scraps,  and  our  work  will  be  comparatively  easy. 
I  fear,  however,  that  we  are  very  indiscreet ;  the  writing  here 
is  a  lady's,  and  I  suspect  we  have  to  do  with  a  love-affair."    In 


% 

V 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  305 

a  short  time  the  sheet  lay  completely  fitted  together  before 
the  official,  who  rubbed  his  hands  with  his  peculiar  chuckle 
and  said,  "  It  is  no  love-letter ;  I  was  mistaken ;  but  it  is  from 
a  lady,  and  not  even  addressed  to  the  Herr  Finanzrath,  but 

to  Fraulein  Ad61e  von  Guntram,  in  M ." 

"  A  letter  to  Ad^le  !"  Styrum  exclaimed. 
"Do  you  know  Fraulein  von  Guntram,  Count?" 
"  Certainly ;  the  letter  is  addressed  to  my  betrothed." 
"  Then  the  contents,  which  are  quite  incomprehensible  to 
me,  will  interest  you  all  the  more ;  perhaps  you  may  divine 
from  them  how  the  note  came  to  be  torn  up  in  the  Finanz- 
rath's  waste-paper  basket."     And  he  read : 

"  What  will  you  think  of  me,  dear  Ad^le,  if  a  few  hours 
after  writing  my  last  letter  I  tell  you  not  to  heed  the  request 
it  contained  ?  I  hope  soon  to  be  able  to  let  you  know  why  I 
do  this,  but  I  cannot  tell  you  to-day.  I  cannot  leave  Castle 
Hohenwald,  and  so  you  are  relieved  of  the  burden  of  looking 
for  another  situation  for  me.  Farewell,  dear ;  you  will  soon 
hear  farther  from  your  ,,  j  „ 

Styrum  listened  with  the  greatest  attention,  but,  although 
his  betrothed  had  told  him  of  the  letter  from  Lucie  in  which 
she  had  entreated  that  another  position  might  be  found  for 
her,  he  could  give  the  Geheimrath  no  information  as  to  why 
this  letter,  which  had  evidently  been  written  since,  should  be 
found  in  the  Finanzrath's  waste-paper  basket. 

Steuber  tossed  it  aside  and  began  upon  the  creamy-coloured 
scraps,  over  which  he  worked  diligently  for  nearly  an  hour. 
When  the  letter  lay  complete  before  him  he  uttered  an  invol- 
untary exclamation  of  delight.  "  This,"  he  said,  "  is  a  very 
important  document ;  it  puts  me  upon  a  fresh  scent.  It  is 
addressed  to  Count  Repuin,  care  of  Colonel  ^on  Berngberg, 

in  Cassel.    Colonel  von  Berngberg  has  never  before  been  sua- 
\i  26* 


■■■•Ki'S'if  ^ 


306  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

pected  of  hostility  to  the  government ;  this  is  a  reward  for 
all  the  trouble  we  have  had."  Again  the  malicious  twinkle 
of  his  eyes,  the  joy  he  evidently  felt  at  the  implication  in 
treasonable  schemes  of  a  man  hitherto  thought  loyal,  disgusted 
Count  Styrum,  who,  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  said  haughtily 
"  I  must  pray  you,  Herr  Geheimrath,  to  spare  me  the  contents 
of  this  letter;  any  prying  into  official  secrets  is  of  course 
extremely  distasteful  to  me  as  a  soldier  and  officer." 

Steuber  looked  up  from  his  work  for  a  moment  and  nodded 
kindly.  "  I  understand  you,  Count,  but,  unfortunately,  I 
cannot  relieve  you  from  the  duty  of  listening.  I  am  working 
under  orders,  and  in  the  service  for  the  time  of  your  superior 
officer,  whom  you  now  represent.  Besides,  I  will  wager  that 
you  will  not  regret  listening  to  the  letter  that  now  lies  before 
me.  It  was  written  by  the  Finanzrath,  and  afterwards,  for 
some  unknown  reason,  destroyed  by  him ;  and  it  runs  thus : 

'* '  I  write  in  the  greatest  haste,  my  dear  Count,  to  tell  you 
that  I  have  received  intimations,  whether  from  a  trustworthy 
source  or  not  I  cannot  say,  that  our  correspondence  is  known 
and  watched.  It  is  better  to  be  careful :  therefore  do  not 
intrust  your  letters  to  the  post  again.  Send  them  in  the  way 
you  know  of;  it  is  more  secure,  although  less  speedy,  than 
the  post.  I  will  make  one  more  attempt  to  win  over  my 
father  and  my  brother,  but  I  tell  you  frankly  that  I  fear  it 
will  be  fruitless.  My  father  is  no  politician,  and  Amo  is  an 
idealist  whose  heart  is  set  upon  a  united  Germany.  If  he 
should  re-enter  the  service  he  will  probably  fight  against  our 
friends.  Indeed,  he  is  so  enthusiastic  a  "  patriot"  that  it  is 
questionable  whether  it  would  be  wise  to  attempt  to  influence 
him.  Always  yours, 

"  '  W.  VON  H.'  " 

As  he  finished  it  the  Geheimrath  looked  up  to  his  com- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  307 

panion  with  a  smile  of  triumph.  "  Are  you  satisfied  now 
with  my  work,  Count  ?"  he  asked.  "  We  may  inform  Count 
Schlichting  that  there  can  be  no  possible  pretext  for  arrest- 
ing the  Freiherr  or  his  son  Amo ;  not  a  shadow  of  suspicion 
rests  upon  them.  What  do  you  think  ?  For  my  part  I  con 
sider  our  search  ended ;  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  found 
here.  Let  us  go  and  report  to  the  colonel.  My  task  at 
Castle  Hohenwald  is  over." 

Count  Schlichting  felt  a  sense  of  relief  when  the  Geheim- 
rath  left  the  garden-room  and  he  found  himself  alone  with 
his  old  friend  and  his  children. 

"  This  is  but  a  sorry  errand  of  mine  here,  Hohenwald,"  he 
said,  seating  himself  beside  the  Freiherr's  rolling-chair ;  "  but 
you  must  not  take  it  ill  of  me,  since  I  accepted  the  part  assigned 
me  in  hopes  that  you  would  rather  see  a  friend  than  a  stranger, 
odious  although  his  duties  might  make  him  in  your  eyes.  I 
am  rejoiced  that  Werner  got  wind  of  our  coming  and  has 
vanished  ;  now  my  hope  is  that  taat  cursed  Greheimrath  may 
poke  his  infernal  nose  wherever  he  chooses  in  the  castle  with- 
out raking  up  any  evidence  against  you  and  Arno." 

"  Have  you  any  doubts  on  that  head  ?"  the  Freiherr  asked, 
bitterly. 

There  was  a  degree  of  embarrassment  in  the  colonel's  air  as 
he  replied,  "  No,  not  that ;  but  politics  nowadays  are  puzzling. 
I  have  the  greatest  confidence  in  you ;  but  who  can  judge  for 
others  ?  Here's  the  Finanzrath  doubtless  an  excellent  fellow 
in  other  respects,  has  dabbled  in  plots  and  schemes  which  are 
now  thought  treasonable,  but  which  may,  at  another  turn  of 
the  wheel,  lead  him  to  a  ribbon  and  star.  To-day  a  warrant 
of  arrest  is  out  against  him,  but  who  knows  whether  in  another 
month  he  may  not  be  held  in  high  honour  in  Saxony  and 
Southern  Germany  ?  I  should  be  very  sorry  if  you,  old  friend, 
and  your  son,  who  fought  the  Prussians  bravely  four  years 


\fWWif^l 


308  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

ago,  had  been  led  into  any  indiscretions ;  but  indeed  I  could 
not  blame  you,  for,  God  knows,  it  is  hard  enough  for  us 
Saxons  to  fight  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  our  former  foes, 
against  those  to  whom  we  owe  it  that  we  are  not  to-day  in 
the  position  of  the  poor  Hanoverians  and  Hessians.  I  am 
an  old  soldier,  and  go  wherever  my  king  sends  me ;  but  I 
cannot  say  that  this  time  I  unsheathe  my  sword  with  any 
enthusiasm." 

"  I  never  rejoiced  more  to  draw  mine  !"  said  Arno,  whom 
the  colonel's  expressions  had  evidently  pained.  "  In  1866 
I  fought  with  bitterness,  a  German  against  Germans,  and  I 
left  the  service  with  a  savage  hatred  for  Prussia  smouldering 
within  me ;  to-day  it  is  forgotten  in  love  of  country,  of  the 
German  fatherland,  of  which  Prussia  is  now  the  represen- 
tative, standing  foremost  in  the  conflict  with  the  arch-enemy 
of  German  freedom,  and  as  the  defender  of  our  German 
Rhine  against  French  greed  of  territory.  If  my  brother 
can  have  forgotten  the  duty  h-e  owes  to  his  country,  it  is  all 
the  more  incumbent  upon  me  to  do  what  I  can  to  wash  away 
all  stain  of  treason  from  the  Hohenwald  name." 

"  That  you  will  surely  do,  my  dearest  brother !"  Celia  cried, 
with  glowing  cheeks.  "  Your  fidelity  will  atone  for  Werner's 
treachery,  and  our  father  will  bless  you  for  vindicating  the 
honour  of  his  name." 

The  colonel  looked  at  them  with  a  smile  as  he  stroked  his 
gray  moustache,  and  said,  "  Aha,  I  see  clearly  that  Steuber's 
long  nose  will  soon  forsake  Castle  Hohenwald !  You  have 
cause  to  be  proud  of  your  pretty  daughter  and  your  son,  old 
friend ;  still,  we  will  not  judge  Werner ;  let  every  man  be  true 
to  his  own  convictions.  I  hear  with  pleasure,  Herr  von  Ho- 
henwald, that  you  wish  to  re-enter  the  army.  I  am  at  your 
service  in  this  matter ;  nothing  would  give  me  greater  satis- 
faction than  to  have  so  brave  an  officer  in  my  regiment,  and 
I  will,  if  you  authorize  me  to  do  so,  apprise  the  king  of  this 


«T».'¥^'19>KS.^.-'?-J?^-'V^;.    ?' ■'  '  •■        -      -      "-  ■-?.      ■■  *.,  -    .  .  -.-,,., r.^,,,. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  309 

when  I  take  him  the  news  to-morrow  of  our  fruitless  errand 
to  Castle  Hohenwald." 

This  offer  Arno  gladly  accepted,  and  it  was  thereupon 
agreed  that  he  should  accompany  the  colonel  to  Dresden  that 
he  might  immediately  join  his  regiment.  All  of  the  little 
party  in  the  garden-room,  in  the  interesting  conversation  that 
ensued,  quite  forgot  the  object  of  the  colonel's  visit,  and  were 
only  reminded  of  it  after  a  long  hour  by  the  entrance  of 
Count  Styrum  with  the  Geheimrath. 

While  Arno  was  greeting  his  friend  with  cordial  delight, 
Steuber  set  the  colonel's  mind  entirely  at  rest  by  his  report, 
and  by  the  request  that  the  dragoons  might  be  sent  back  to 
A and  himself  relieved  of  all  fiirther  duty,  since  no  pos- 
sible suspicion  could  attach  to  any  of  the  present  inmates  of 
the  castle. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the  obnoxious  official  took  his 
departure,  while  the  colonel  and  Styrum,  upon  the  Freiherr's 
earnest  invitation,  remained  in  the  castle  a  few  hours  longer, 
that  Arno  might  conclude  his  preparations  for  leaving,  and 

accompany  them  to  A- ,  there  to  take  the  night  train  to 

Dresden. 

The  time  for  parting  came.  The  colonel  and  Styrum  took 
leave  of  the  old  Baron  and  went  down  into  the  court-yard, 
where  the  carriage  was  in  waiting.  Arno  was  left  alone 'for  a 
moment  with  his  father  and  sister.  The  old  man  was  deeply 
moved.  It  evidently  caused  him  an  effort  to  release  his  son's 
hand  from  the  firm  clasp  in  which  he  held  it,  while  a  tear 
rolled  down  his  wrinkled  cheek  upon  his  silver  beard.  "  Fare- 
well, Arno  !  farewell,  my  dear  son,  pride  and  delight  of  my 
age,"  he  said,  drawing  his  ton  gently  down  to  him  and,  for 
the  first  time  since  that  son  had  grown  to  manhood,  pressing 
his  lips  to  his  brow.  "  Farewell,  Arno !"  he  repeated.  "  Make 
me  one  promise  before  you  go.  If,  when  you  return,  I  am 
no  longer  here,  be  a  father  to  my  Celia.     I  place  her  happi 


'"^Wcm^.^ 


310  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

ness  in  your  hands.  You  must  not  sacrifice  it  to  an  heredi 
tary  prejudice,  but  make  good  a  promise  I  gave  our  Anna, 
and  if  you  ever  meet  Kurt  von  Poseneck  in  the  war  forget 
the  family  feud,  and  treat  him  kindly.  For  Celia's  sake  look 
upon  him  as  a  brother,  for  I  have  promised  our  Anna  that 
when  he  comes  back  he  shall  be  Celia's  husband." 

Celia  threw  her  arms  around  her  father's  neck  and  burst 
into  tears,  but  the  old  man  gently  put  her  away  from  him, 
and,  paying  no  heed  to  Arno's  look  of  startled  inquiry,  lay 
back  in  his  chair.  "  Go,  children  !"  he  said,  in  a  feeble  voice. 
"  You  must  leave  me.  This  parting  is  almost  more  than  I 
can  bear.  Celia,  go  with  Arno  to  the  carriage.  Farewell, 
my  dearest  son  I  Your  father's  blessing  be  upon  you  in  the 
coming  struggle  for  the  fatherland  1" 


CHAPTER   XXL 

Months  had  passed  since  the  beginning  of  the  war ;  thi 
German  hosts  had  overrun  France,  and  were  girdling  Paris 
with  an  iron  ring,  making  its  surrender  but  a  question  of 
time,  while  upon  the  ruins  of  the  empire  that  had  crumbled 
to  decay  at  Sedan  the  young  republic  had  been  born  to  pursue 
with  the  energy  of  despair  the  strife  that  had  been  bequeathed 
to  it  by  imperial  policy. 

The  pretty  village  of  Assais  was  among  the  foremost  to 
declare  itself  devoted  to  the  republic,  following  the  lead  of 
the  Marquise  de  Lancy,  the  widowed  chatelaine  of  the  castle 
of  Assais,  who,  although  a  Russian  by  birth,  was  an  enthu- 
giastic  supporter  of  the  new  government.  Towards  the  end 
of  September,  however,  the  Marquise  had  departed  for  Eng- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  311 

land,  leaving  the  castle  in  the  charge  of  a  cousin,  the  Baron 
de  Nouart,  who  had  arrived  at  Assais  only  a  short  time  pre- 
viously in  company  with  the  brother  of  the  Marquise,  a 
Russian  count.  The  Baron  was  reported  to  have  been  so 
busy  in  Germany  in  the  French  interest  that  an  asylum  in 
the  castle  of  Assais  was  exceedingly  welcome  to  him.  His 
reputation  in  this  respect  stood  him  in  good  stead  with  the 
villagers,  who  otherwise  were  by  no  means  favourably  im- 
pressed by  the  appearance  and  manner  of  the  substitute  of 
their  fair  chatelaine,  which  were  those  of  a  man  of  dissipated 
life  given  over  to  the  vice  of  drinking. 

Assais  had  hitherto  escaped  any  visit  from  the  Prussian 
soldiery,  but  its  time  of  immunity  had  passed.  One  morn- 
ing in  October  an  officer  of  Uhlans,  with  a  small  detachment 
of  Prussians,  spread  terror  in  the  village  by  galloping  through 
its  principal  street  towards  the  castle,  where  he  demanded 
to  speak  with  the  Baron  de  Nouart.  The  Baron,  who  had 
been  apprised  of  the  approach  of  the  Prussians,  had  pre- 
pared to  receive  them  after  rather  a  singular  fashion.  B«- 
tiring  to  his  apartment,  he  had  donned  a  fiery-red  wig,  with 
a  false  beard  and  moustache  of  the  same  colour,  while  a  pair 
of  dark-blue  glass  spectacles  made  the  colour  of  his  eyes  en- 
tirely undistinguishable.  Thus  disguised  he  appeared  before 
the  young  officer  of  Uhlans  in  the  court-yard  of  the  castle. 
The  officer  scanned  the  strange  figure  before  him  rather  cu- 
riously as  he  asked  whether  he  had  the  honour  of  addressing 
the  Baron  de  Nouart,  and  whether  he  could  speak  Grerman. 
Upon  being  assured  of  the  Baron's  identity,  as  well  as  of  his 
inability  to  speak  German,  although  he  understood  it  per- 
fectly, the  young  man  continued  the  conversation  in  French, 
informing  the  Baron  that  a  regiment  of  infantry  and  a  squad- 
ron of  Uhlans  were  about  to  occupy  Assais ;  that  quarters 
must  be  provided  in  the  castle  for  the  colonel,  officers,  and 
part  of  the  men, — the  rest  could  be  accommodated  in  the  vil- 


>'^^'.  J 


312  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

lage.  The  more  willing  the  inhabitants  showed  themselves  to 
receive  the  Prussian  soldiers  the  less  cause  should  they  have 
for  complaint.  Having  delivered  himself  thus,  and  having 
been  assured  by  the  Baron  that  the  castle  should  be  at  the 
disposal  of  the  colonel  when  he  arrived,  the  Uhlan  departed 
with  his  men  to  inspect  the  village  accommodations. 

The  Baron  was  as  good  as  his  word.  Towards  evening, 
when  Colonel  von  Schlichting,  with  his  officers,  arrived,  the 
preparations  for  their  reception  were  far  more  complete  than 
was  required  by  the  rules  of  war.  The  Baron  kept  himself  in 
the  background,  and  was  visible  only  to  the  Uhlan  commander 
and  the  colonel,  who  was  by  no  means  favourably  impressed 
with  the  man  who,  hat  in  hand,  received  him  in  the  castle 
court-yard  and  in  execrable  German  declared  that  he  would 
gladly  do  all  in  his  power  for  the  comfort  of  the  German 
officers,  but  must  request  to  be  allowed  to  retire,  as  he  was 
a  very  sick  man,  most  of  the  time  keeping  his  bed  by  the 
physician's  orders.  His  servile  demeanour  disgusted  Count 
Von  Schlichting  ;  but  he  was  obliged  to  admit  that  he  did  not 
promise  too  much,  so  admirable  was  every  arrangement  for  his 
comfort. 

At  dinner,  several  of  the  officers  expressed  their  surprise 
at  finding  such  luxurious  quarters  and  such  excellent  wines 
in  so  secluded  a  spot,  and  loudest  in  his  praise  was  the  Uhlan 
captain  of  horse,  who  had  been  ordered  with  his  squadron  to 
the  support  of  the  Saxon  regiment  in  the  work  of  ridding 
the  surrounding  country  of  the  bands  of  franctireurs  by 
which  it  was  infested.  "  There  are  no  such  quarters  in  all 
France !"  the  captain  cried,  with  enthusiasm ;  "  such  rooms,  such 
a  kitchen,  and  such  a  cellar  !  Indeed,  gentlemen,  the  Baron 
Je  Nouart  deserves  a  toast  for  his  hospitality.  He  is  not 
handsome,  that  there  is  no  denying  ;  but  here's  to  his  health  !" 

The  Saxon  officers  joined,  laughing,  in  the  Prussian  cap- 
tain's toast,  and  even  the  colonel  did  not  refuse  it,  although 


CASTLE   HOHENWALD.  313 

he  drank  it  with  no  genuine  cordiality.  He  turned  to  Count 
Styrum,  beside  whom  he  was  sitting  at  the  large  round  table 
in  the  dining-hall.  "  Are  you  as  much  pleased  with  our  host, 
Count,  as  are  our  Prussian  comrades  ?"  he  asked,  in  a  tone  too 
low  to  be  heard  by  the  others ;  "  although  I  must  confess 
that  our  reception  here  has  exceeded  my  expectations,  I  am 
most  unpleasantly  impressed  by  our  host ;  he  reminds  me  of 
some  one  whom  I  have  seen,  I  cannot  remember  whom." 

'^  That's  odd,"  Count  Styrum  replied ;  "  my  own  experi- 
ence is  the  same.  I  only  saw  the  man  for  a  moment,  and 
at  a  distance,  and  yet  it  seems  to  me  that  I  have  seen  him 
somewhere  formerly,  though  where  I  cannot  for  the  life  of 
me  remember." 

"  Are  you  sure  ?"  the  colonel  asked. 

"  No,  colonel ;  such  fancies  are  very  little  to  be  relied  upon. 
It  struck  me,  however,  that  the  Baron  beat  a  hasty  retreat 
as  soon  as  he  espied  me,  although  I  may  have  been  mistaken 
there,  too." 

"  It  is  a  singular  coincidence,  however,  and  I  begin  to  think 
that  Monsieur  may  have  some  reason  for  requesting  that  we 
will  in  future  communicate  with  him  through  his  factotum 
Gervais." 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  Captain  von  Hohen- 
wald,  who  came  to  report  that  the  men  had  been  peaceftdly 
distributed  among  the  inhabitants  both  of  Assais  and  of  the 
neighbouring  villages.  Amo  had  scarcely  taken  the  place  at 
table  indicated  to  him  by  the  colonel,  with  whom  he  was  a 
favourite  officer,  when  the  young  Uhlan  lieutenant,  who  had 
brought  the  news  of  the  approach  of  the  regiment  to  Assaia 
in  the  morning,  entered  the  dining-hall,  and  was  presented  by 
his  superior  officer,  Von  Saben,  to  Count  Schlichting  z& 
Lieutenant  von  Poseneck. 

Amo's  attention  was  at  once  arrested  upon  hearing  the 
familiar  name.  He  had  never  yet  encountered  Kurt  von 
o  27 


~WWf?^^. 


314  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Poseneck, — Von  Saben's  squadron  had  joined  Count  Schlich 
ting's  regiment  only  two  days  previously,  Kurt  reported  that 
he  had  made  a  reconnoissanee  in  all  directions  and  had  found 
no  traces  of  the  enemy.  This  information  convinced  the  col- 
onel that,  for  the  present  at  least,  there  was  no  risk  in  enjoy- 
ing to  the  full  the  repose  and  hospitality  offered  at  Assais. 

And  this  the  young  oflBcers  certainly  did.  The  best  possi- 
ble understanding  seemed  to  exist  between  the  Prussians  and 
Sj»xons,  and  the  hall  resounded  with  mirth  and  laughter  from 
the  various  groups  into  which  the  large  assembly  soon  divided. 

t.)ne  of  these  consisted  but  of  three,  Count  Styrum,  Arno 
von  Hohenwald,  and  Kurt  von  Po3eneck.  They  had  with- 
drawn to  a  comer  of  the  hall  and  were  engaged  in  earnest 
conversation.  How  much  there  was  to  hear  and  to  tell !  Arno 
felt  every  trace  of  the  foolish  hereditary  prejudice  fade  within 
him  as  he  looked  at  the  handsome  young  fellow,  who  showed 
in  every  word  and  glance  his  pleasure  in  thus  meeting  his 
Celia's  brother.  Only  from  Celia's  letters  had  Arno  heard  of 
Kurt,  who  had  written  of  his  advancement  to  the  old  Freiherr. 
Now  Kurt  was  not  only  begged  for  the  story  of  his  experience 
since  the  beginning  of  the  war,  but  Arno  drew  from  him  the 
account  of  his  first  meeting  with  Celia,  and  of  how  Frau  von 
Sorr — Arno  felt  the  blood  mount  to  his  cheek  at  the  name — 
had  learned  by  accident  of  the  intimacy  between  them. 

To  that  noble  woman,  Frau  von  Sorr,  Kurt  declared,  glad 
Indeed  to  make  a  confidant  of  Celia's  brother,  did  he  owe  it 
that  his  love  for  Celia  was  no  longer  a  secret.  He  had  faith- 
fully kept  his  promise  never  to  write  to  Celia,  but  he  had 
written  to  Frau  von  Sorr  two  letters  to  be  forwarded  to  the 
Freiherr.  One  of  these  he  feared  had  miscarried,  as  Frau 
von  Sorr  had  not  alluded  to  it  in  her  last  letter  to  him. 

Arno's  heart  beat  furiously  as  he  asked,  with  all  the  indif 
ference  he  could  assume,  "  You  correspond,  then,  with  Frau 
von  Sorr?" 


•^,^- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  315 

"  Yes.  Frau  von  Sorr  permitted  me  to  write  to  her,  and 
promised  to  forward  my  letters  to  your  father  when  there  were 
any  tidings  of  me  to  be  transmitted  to  Castle  Hohenwald." 

"  Then  you  know  where  Frau  von  Sorr  is  at  present,  and 
how  she  has  been  since  leaving  the  castle  ?" 

Kurt,  all  unmindful  of  the  suppressed  eagerness  with  which 
this  question  was  put,  replied  by  giving  a  detailed  account  of 
Frau  von  Sorr's  departure  from  Grtinhagen  for  Berlin,  whence 
she  had  retired  with  her  father  to  his  beautiful  estate,  Kalten- 

born,  on  the  Rhine,  not  far  from  S ,  wrhere  she  had  found 

a  secure  retreat  from  her  husband's  persecutions.  On  this 
score  Herr  Ahlborn  was  now  quite  easy,  since  Sorr  and  the 
Finanzrath  had  both  been  obliged  to  flee  the  country  as 
proscribed  traitors,  and  any  return  to  Germany  for  them 
was  impossible  until  the  war  should  be  ended.  In  her  last 
letter  Frau  von  Sorr  had  described  her  life  with  her  father 
as  all  that  she  could  desire,  telling  Kurt  that  she,  with  various 

other  women  of  S ,  had  established  a  lazaretto  for  wounded 

soldiers,  and  that  she  had  also  prepared  accommodations  at 
Kaltenborn  for  some  few,  for  whom  pure  country  air  might 
be  specially  desirable.  She  expressed  a  hope  that  Kurt  never 
might  be  wounded,  but  prayed  him  if  he  were  and  could  con- 
trive it  to  be  sure  and  be  brought  to  her  at  Kaltenborn. 

"  And  this,"  Kurt  concluded,  "  I  shall  certainly  do,  if  an 
unlucky  bullet  should  chance  to  lay  me  up  for  a  time.  I 
honour  that  woman  from  my  very  soul ;  she  is  an  angel !" 

It  was  with  difficulty  that  Amo  restrained  himself  from 
chiming  in  with  Kurt's  enthusiastic  admiration ;  his  respect 
for  his  sister  rose  on  the  instant.  What  penetration  and 
judgment  she  had  shown  in  bestowing  her  heart  upon  this 
excellent  young  fellow !  As  a  reward  he  allowed  Kurt  to 
read  Celia's  last  letter, — a  letter  that  transported  the  lover  ir 
thought  to  the  Hohenwald  forest,  so  vividly  did  it  bring  hii> 
love  before  him  in  all  that  makes  girlhood  bewitching. 


-=  '-■^.'''^■rf^;:?.  ?^a6^i; 


316  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Thus  the  hours  flew  by  unheeded  until  the  three  friends 
found  themselves  alone  in  the  spacious  hall,  when,  as  they 
were  not  weary,  Kurt  proposed  a  short  walk  before  retiring 
to  rest,  and  they  all  sauntered  out  into  the  autumn  moonlight 
that  was  flooding  the  garden  and  park.  They  walked  on  aim- 
lessly until,  emerging  from  a  thicket  of  shrubbery,  they  saw 
before  them  one  of  the  wings  of  the  castle.  All  the  win- 
dows here  were  darkened  except  two  upon  the  ground-floor 
directly  opposite  them.  The  friends  paused  and  gazed  in  vol 
untarily  into  the  apartment  thus  revealed  to  them.  It  was  a 
large  room,  luxuriously  furnished.  In  a  cushioned  arm-chair, 
beside  a  round  table  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment,  sat  the 
Baron  de  Nouart,  and  on  the  table,  at  his  elbow,  stood  a  glaas 
and  a  half-empty  bottle. 

Just  as  the  oflicers  emerged  from  the  bushes  some  slight 
noise  probably  attracted  the  Baron's  attention.  He  raised 
his  head,  seemed  to  be  listening  for  an  instant,  and  then  arose 
hastily  and  drew  close  the  heavy  curtains  that  had  been  open 
to  admit  the  air. 

"  Let  us  turn  round,"  Kurt  said,  in  a  low  tone ;  "  the 
Baron  may  else  suppose  that  we  wish  to  spy  upon  him." 

"  Which  would  be  a  poor  reward  for  the  hospitality  he  has 
shown  us,"  said  Arno. 

Styrum  said  nothing,  but  followed  his  companions,  and  not 
until  they  had  reached  the  open  lawn  before  the  balcony  of 
the  dining-hall  did  he  remark,  "  The  Baron  seemed  in  a  great 
hurry  to  screen  himself  from  observation." 

"  Naturally,"  Arno  rejoined  ;  "  he  had  good  reasons  for  so 
doing.  Unless  I  am  much  mistaken,  that  was  no  wine- 
bottle  at  his  elbow ;  it  held  good  cognac.  A  fellow  at  such 
night- work  hardly  likes  to  be  seen." 

"  They  told  me  in  Nontron  that  he  was  an  incorrigiblft 
drunkard ;  never  sober  after  noon,"  Kurt  added. 

Styrum  shook  his  head  ;  natural  as  was  this  explanation  of 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  317 

.he  Baron's  conduct,  it  did  not  satisfy  him.  "  He  may  be  a 
drunkard,"  he  said,  "  but  I  am  convinced  that  he  had  other 
reasons  for  drawing  those  curtains  so  quickly, — the  same 
probably  that  made  him  turn  away  this  afternoon  when  he 
saw  me.  I  have  surely  seen  that  man  somewhere ;  he  knows 
me  and  fears  my  recognition.  What  else  did  you  hear  about 
him  in  Nontron,  Kurt?" 

"  Not  much,  but  quite  enough  to  justify  any  suspicion  of 
his  honesty.  He  is  said  to  be  a  distant  relative  of  the  widowed 
Marquise  de  Lancy,  the  owner  of  the  castle,  where  he  made 
his  appearance  only  a  few  weeks  ago ;  and  although  he  is  a 
zealous  patriot,  he  is  not,  they  say,  a  Frenchman,  but  a  Russian. 
They  say,  too,  that  he  can  speak  G-erman  extremely  well,  and 
yet  this  morning,  when  I  addressed  him  in  G-erman,  he  could 
scarcely  reply  in  the  same  tongue,  although  he  said  that  he 
understood  it  perfectly.     He  is  a  suspicious  character." 

"  I  do  not  see  any  reason  thus  far  for  your  distrust  of  him," 
Arno  observed. 

"  Nevertheless,  the  colonel  shall  learn  what  Kurt  has  told 
us,"  said  Styrum.     "  It  is  best  to  be  upon  our  guard." 

The  friends  then  separated  and  betook  themselves  to  re- 
pose. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

It  had  been  a  weary  day  for  the  Baron  Frangois  de 
Nouart ;  he  had  not  even  been  able  to  have  recourse  to  his 
usual  stimulant,  so  impressed  was  he  with  the  necessity  of 
keeping  every  faculty  upon  the  alert  in  the  trying  position 
in  which  he  found  himself.  That  this  Saxon  regiment  of  all 
others  should  have  been  ordered  to  Assais  was  a  stroke  of 

27* 


318  CASTLE  nOHENWALD. 

terrible  ill  luck !  Not  until  Gervais  reported  to  him  thai 
all  was  quiet  in  the  castle  for  the  night  did  he  venture  to 
seat  himself  comfortably  at  the  table  in  his  room  with  the 
brandy-flask  at  his  elbow.  And  even  then  five  minutes  had 
scarcely  elapsed  when  a  slight  noise  causing  him  to  turn  his 
head,  he  plainly  saw  through  the  open  window  the  three 
officers  on  the  moonlit  lawn,  and  that  one  of  them  was  the 
man  whom  he  so  dreaded.  Count  Styrum.  He  started  up  and 
closed  the  hangings  instantly,  hearing  distinctly  as  he  did  so 
Kurt's  words,  "  Let  us  turn  round ;  the  Baron  may  else  sup- 
pose that  we  wish  to  spy  upon  him."  Then  through  a  chink 
in  the  curtains  he  watched  the  three  men  disappear  among 
the  bushes,  his  heart  beating  violently  the  while  from  fear 
of  detection.  After  watching  some  minutes  longer  he  crept 
softly  to  Gervais's  room,  and  having  received  the  steward's 
assurance  that  the  young  Uhlan  officer  with  his  two  friendi* 
had  returned  from  the  garden,  and  that  all  three  were  now 
locked  in  their  rooms,  he  made  a  stealthy  round  of  the  castle. 
All  was  quiet,  and  he  once  more  returned  to  his  room  to  seek 
the  forgetfulness  that  he  so  craved. 

But  the  poor  man  had  scarcely  drained  a  few  glasses  of  his 
favourite  beverage  when  he  was  once  more  disturbed,  this 
time  by  a  low  tap  upon  the  window,  which  he  had  closed. 
Could  it  be  a  belated  officer  ?  Hardly  ;  he  would  not  an- 
nounce his  presence  thus.  It  must  be  some  friend,  who  for 
certain  reasons  did  not  dare  to  seek  an  entrance  to  the  caatle 
more  boldly. 

Again  the  knocking  came,  quicker  and  more  impatient; 
with  uncertain  steps  the  Baron  went  to  the  window,  and,  aa 
he  looked  through  the  curtains,  uttered  an  involuntary  ex- 
clamation of  horror,  "  Count  Repuin  !"  and  in  an  instant  the 
curtains  were  drawn  aside  and  the  window  opened.  "  Are 
you  mad,  Count  ?  Do  you  not  know  that  the  castle  swarms 
jrith  Germans?'"  he  whispered,  in  dismay. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  31? 

"  Then  give  me  your  hand  and  help  me  to  get  in  at  this 
cursed  window,"  whispered  Repuin,  who  stood  without  in  the 
dJsguiseof  a  peasant.  "Quick!  Am  I  to  stay  here  until  the 
guard  discovers  me?" 

"  I  implore  you  to  fly,  Count.  You  will  ruin  both  your- 
self and  me ;  we  shall  be  shot  if  you  are  found  in  the  castle." 

"  I  will  not  be  found.  Do  as  I  tell  you,  and  give  me  your 
hand !" 

The  Baron  had  no  choice  but  to  obey.  He  extended  his 
hand  to  the  Count,  who  seized  it,  and  with  but  little  difficulty 
clambered  in  at  the  window,  which  was  but  a  few  feet  from 
the  ground. 

Scarcely  had  he  closed  it  and  drawn  the  curtains  behind 
him  when  he  turned  with  a  look  of  scorn  to  the  Baron, 
"  What  a  coward  you  are,  Sorr  !"  he  said ;  "  your  hand  trembles 
like  a  woman's.  Shame  on  you !  Why,  I  do  believe  the 
fellow  is  drunk  again.  There  stands  the  empty  brandy-bottle. 
I  wonder  whether  there  is  enough  sense  left  in  your  dru^ed 
brain  to  make  it  worth  while  to  talk  reason  to  you." 

Repuin's  insulting  words  made  no  impression  on  Sorr ;  he 
was  too  well  used  to  such  from  the  Russian.  But  the  fright 
that  the  Count's  visit  caused  him,  and  the  sense  of  the  danger 
with  which  it  threatened  him,  helped  to  sober  him.  He 
drank  several  glasses  of  cold  water,  and  then  bathed  his  head 
and  face,  after  which  he  was  sufficiently  himself  to  turn  to  the 
Count  and  say,  "  What  evil  star  brought  you  to  Assais  ?  Are 
you  resolved  upon  my  ruin  ?" 

"  Bah !  what  is  your  ruin  to  me  !"  the  Count  rejoined,  con- 
temptuously. "  You  run  no  greater  danger  than  I  do.  Are 
you  sufficiently  collected  now  to  understand  me  ?" 

"  Yes ;  what  do  you  want  ?" 

"  I  wish  to  convince  myself  by  personal  information  how 
matters  stand  here  in  Assais;  there  is  no  confidence  to  be 
oliced  in  the  reports  circulating  everywhere ;  these  French 


"-l"-JSis'^ 


320  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

make  mountains  out  of  mole-hills.  You  mus<  give  me  exact 
intelligence  with  regard  to  the  enemy." 

"  How  am  I  to  do  that  ?  Do  you  suppose  that  Count 
Schlichting  makes  me  his  confidant  ?" 

"  Ah,  Colonel  Schlichting  is  here,  then  ?" 

"  Yes  ;  with  his  whole  regiment,  and  a  squadron  of  Prus- 
sian Uhlans." 

"  Hm  !  They  are  too  many  for  us  as  yet,  then, — we  must 
wait  a  few  days.  Is  Count  Styrum  here  ?  I  suppose  so  from 
your  disguise  ;  you  look  like  a  scarecrow." 

"  Yes,  he  is  here,  and  also  Arno  von  Hohenwald." 

"  Baron  Arno,  my  rival  with  your  lovely  wife.  Let  him 
look  to  himself!" 

"  What  can  you  do  ?     The  Germans  are  too  strong  for 

you." 

"  Just  at  present  they  are,  but  in  a  few  days  we  shall  out- 
number them ;  victory  has  made  them  over-bold ;  they  are 
venturing  too  far  northwest,  and  they  imagine  that  they  have 
to  do  only  with  some  scattering  bands  of  franctireurs.  I  have 
learned  enough  for  to-day,  but  you  must  contrive  to  keep  me 
informed  of  all  that  is  going  on  here.  For  a  messenger  you 
must  employ  the  village  maire,  Fournier ;  his  boy  Louis  waa 
shot  a  few  days  ago  by  some  of  these  very  G-ermans,  and  the 
man  is  thirsting  for  revenge  ;  he  will  do  all  and  venture  all  to 
bring  destruction  upon  these  men." 

"  But  they  have  placed  their  sentinels  so  that  it  will  be 
impossible  to  elude  them,  and,  besides,  how  could  anything 
of  importance  reach  my  ears  ?" 

"  Leave  the  eluding  of  the  sentinels  to  Fournier,  and  for 
mportant  information  we  must  depend  upon  Gervais ;  let  him 
.isten  well.  These  officers  can  have  no  idea  that  he  under- 
stands German  perfectly  ?" 

"  Not  the  least ;  the  colonel  always  speaks  to  him  in  exo- 
crable  French." 


^^3^t 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  321 

"  Then  let  him  be  constantly  on  the  watch  for  news,  and 
let  me  hear  it  instantly  through  the  maire.  May  I  rely  upon 
you?" 

"  You  are  playing  a  dangerous  game,  Count !  "We  shall 
be  discovered ;  and  if  we  are,  we  are  lost,  for  Count  Schlich- 
ting  knows  no  mercy." 

"  Then  none  shall  be  shown  him." 

"  He  will  need  none.  I  implore  you,  Count,  to  moderate 
your  zeal ;  you  will  only  plunge  into  ruin  if  you  attempt  to 
attack  an  enemy  that  so  outnumbers  you.  We,  the  maire 
and  I,  shall  both  be  shot  if  we  are  suspected  of  holding  any 
communication  with  you." 

The  Count  gazed  sternly  at  Sorr.  For  a  moment  he  seemed 
to  bethink  himself;  then  he  said,  laying  a  sharp  stress  upon 
each  word,  "  I  am  almost  tempted  to  believe  you  capable  of 
playing  the  traitor,  Herr  von  Sorr.  I  would  not  advise  you 
to  contemplate  such  a  course  ;  one  step  in  that  direction  and 
Count  Schlichting  shall  learn  by  a  letter  from  me  whom 
your  clumsy  disguise  conceals.  Remember  you  are  closely 
watched.  If  you  are  true  to  me  you  shall  have  your  reward ; 
but  if  you  are  a  traitor,  by  Heaven !  you  shall  meet  a  trai- 
tor's death.  If  you  should  escape  a  Grerman  bullet,  a  French 
one  shall  find  its  way  to  your  heart.  Now  you  know  where 
you  stand.  One  more  piece  of  advice :  for  God's  sake  avoid 
that  cursed  brandy-flask  for  the  next  week  at  least.  Come, 
be  a  man,  Sorr ;  promise  me  that  you  will  not  drink  a  drop 
for  the  next  eight  days." 

Sorr  promised,  and  Repuin  took  his  departure,  leaving,  as 
he  had  come,  by  the  window.  Sorr  closed  it  softly  behind 
him  and  stood  at  it  for  a  long  while,  dreading  to  hear  a  shot 
in  the  shrubbery,  but  all  remained  quiet. 


.rW-l?.-' 


322  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

The  next  few  days  were  gloomy  with  misty,  rainy  weather, 
and  Count  Schlichting  grumbled  incessantly  at  the  enforced 
idleness  of  his  command.  Arno  and  Kurt  employed  the 
time  in  improving  their  knowledge  of  each  other,  and  passed 
many  a  pleasant  hour  together  with  Count  Styrum  in  ex- 
ploring the  park  and  gardens  of  the  castle,  which  were  re- 
markably fine  and  spacious.  On  returning  from  one  of  these 
walks  about  a  week  after  their  arrival  at  Assais,  they  found 
the  castle  court-yard  a  scene  of  much  bustle  and  excitement, 
and  learned  that  orders  had  arrived  recalling  the  Saxon  regi- 
ment to  Nontron  and  Chains, — orders  that  had  been  received 
with  enthusiasm,  since  they  pointed  to  a  general  massing  of 
forces  preparatory  to  a  move  upon  the  French  army  of  the 
north.  The  colonel  came  into  the  dining-hall  with  a  very 
cheerful  countenance,  and,  taking  hi&  seat  with  the  Uhlan 
captain,  Von  Saben,  and  several  officers,  drank  a  bumper  to 
an  energetic  continuance  of  the  war,  and  to  its  speedy  victo- 
rious termination. 

The  Uhlan  captain  alone  was  depressed,  and  with  good  cause ; 
for  while  the  Saxon  regiment  was  to  take  up  its  march  to 
Nontron  on  the  following  morning,  the  squadron  of  Uhlans 
was  to  remain  at  Assais  until  further  orders,  to  prevent  the 
formation  of  bands  of  franctireurs  in  the  surrounding  country. 
Although  this  was  an  honourable  service,  it  was  one  that  could 
be  crowned  by  no  laurels,  and  life  in  the  castle,  aft«r  the 
departure  of  the  Saxon  officers,  would  be  by  no  means  at- 
tractive.  The  captain's  only  hope  was  that  the  colonel  might 
be  right  in  declaring  that  before  many  days  the  Uhlans  also 
would  be  withdrawn  from  so  advanced  a  post. 


:<^'^^^l'^.ryi^y::^^^^>^^^,.  ■   ..  - "     '■-     .::?^>*-.i--'-  -^  ^--' ■:^-!.-7^~^' ^--       v.-'   ."-         ■   :-■  ■  -:Z'-?9^yi  ■  '  ■■■  --^Z-Wyi'^fw'^ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  323 

Kurt  von  Poseneck  too  was  greatly  disappointed  at  the 
prospect  of  losing  sight  of  Amo  von  Hohenwald.  He  had 
BO  rejoiced  in  the  new-formed  friendship  with  his  betrothed's 
brother,  and  now  it  was  to  be  thus  nipped  in  the  bud.  As 
soon  as  was  possible  without  churlishness,  Styrum,  Amo,  and 
Kurt  withdrew  from  the  circle  of  their  comrades  on  this  last 
evening  and  passed  together  a  farewell  quiet  hour.  When 
they  separated  Arno  pressed  Kurt's  hand.  "  We  shall  per- 
haps not  see  each  other  to-morrow,"  he  said ;  "  let  us  say 
farewell  to-night ;  only  for  a  short  time,  I  trust.  When  you 
send  a  letter  to  the  Rhine  remember  to  send  my  greetings  in 
it,  and  in  return  I  will  send  yours  to  Celia,  and  tell  her  that 
the  greatest  pleasure  I  have  had  during  the  campaign  h<ia 
been  to  learn  to  know  and  to  cordially  like  my  friture  brother- 
in-law.     Farewell,  Kurt!" 

The  three  had  lingered  longer  together  than  they  had  vu 
tended,  and  when  they  separated  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase 
leading  to  Styrum's  and  Amo's  apartments  perfect  quiet 
reigned  throughout  the  castle.  Kurt's  room  was  at  the  end 
of  a  long  corridor  on  this  second  floor,  and  as  he  walked  along 
it  his  steps  sounded  so  loud  in  the  intense  stillness  that  he  took 
care  to  make  his  tread  as  light  as  possible,  lest  he  should 
arouse  his  sleeping  comrades.  The  corridor  was  very  long, 
and  his  room  lay  next  to  his  captain's,  the  windows  of  both 
looking  out  upon  the  court-yard.  The  night  had  grown 
cloudy,  and  the  long  window  before  him,  that  would  have 
given  some  light  if  the  weather  had  been  clear,  was  of  no 
use  to  illuminate  the  darkness  around  him,  but  Kurt  cared 
little  since  he  could  not  possibly  miss  his  door,  tlie  second 
from  the  end  on  his  right.  He  had  reached  about  the  middle 
of  the  passage  when  his  attention  was  roused  by  a  noise  upon 
his  left;  he  thought  he  heard  approaching  footsteps.  He 
paused  and  listened ;  yes,  he  was  right ;  a  door  opened  softly 
upon  his  left ;  he  had  a  momentary  glimpse  of  a  spacious, 


324  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

iimly-lighted  apaxtment,  and  Monsieur  Gervais  stood  before 
him  holding  a  lantern,  the  light  of  which  fell  full  upon  the 
young  officer.  The  man  was  evidently  much  startled,  but 
quickly  regaining  his  self-possession,  bowed  with  the  courtesy 
he  always  displayed  to  the  Prussian  officers,  and  offered  tc 
light  the  lieutenant  to  his  room,  excusing  himself  for  having, 
under  the  impression  that  every  one  in  the  castle  had  retired 
to  rest,  extinguished  the  lights. 

He  then  preceded  Kurt  with  his  lantern,  and  only  left  him 
when  he  had  lighted  the  candle  in  the  young  man's  room. 

Why  had  the  Frenchman  been  so  startled,  so  evidently 
frightened,  at  first  sight  of  a  Pnissian  officer  ?  and  whence 
came  Monsieur  Gervais  ?  These  were  questions  which  Kurt 
asked  himself  as  soon  as  he  was  left  alone, — questions  which 
he  could  not  answer.  It  occurred  to  him  that,  confident  in 
their  numbers,  the  officers  quartered  in  the  castle  had  neg- 
lected many  precautions  that  prudence  would  have  sug- 
gested. Not  one  of  them  had  hitherto  thought  it  worth 
while  to  explore  all  the  rooms  and  passages  of  the  huge  old 
castle.  All  had  been  content  with  the  comfortable  quarters 
assigned  them  by  Monsieur  Gervais,  and  had  not  reflected 
upon  the  facilities  that  the  other  rooms  might  afford  for 
concealing  spies  and  traitors.  Kurt  determined  to  use  the 
first  unemployed  hours  of  the  following  day  in  exploring  the 
castle  thoroughly,  and  particularly  in  ascertaining  whence 
the  door  led  at  which  Monsieur  Gervais  had  appeared.  As 
far  as  he  could  judge  at  present,  the  large  room,  of  which 
he  had  had  a  glimpse,  must  be  traversed  to  reach  the  wing 
built  out  into  the  park,  at  present  inhabited  by  the  Baron  de 
Nouart. 

With  the  determination  to  atone  for  a  neglected  duty  he 
ceased  to  think  of  Monsieur  Gervais  or  of  danger  threat- 
ening him  ;  he  dwelt  rather  upon  Amo's  last  words  to  him ; 
his  heart  beat  at  the  thought  that  he  had  accepted  him  as  a 


ll*% 


_  -•^.^•Tf  J-Tg^  -"f  V        ^  '        •         .,  ^St  1 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  325 

brother-in-law,  and  Celia's  lovely  image  accompanied  him  to 
the  land  of  dreams. 

He  never  suspected  that  Monsieur  G^ervais  was  standing 
outside  his  hedroom-door  listening  with  hated  breath  to  every 
movement  of  the  young  officer,  and  that  his  ear  was  not  re- 
moved from  the  key-hole  until  the  long,  regular  breathing 
inside  told  him  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Uhlan's 
wakeftilness.  The  enemy  slept.  Monsieur  Gervais  could 
now  pursue  his  way  unmolested,  but  he  would  guard  against 
a  second  surprise.  He  put  the  lantern  on  the  floor,  took  ofF 
his  boots,  and  in  his  stockings  glided  swiftly  to  the  grand 
staircase,  which  he  mounted  tc  the  very  topmost  story  of 
the  castle,  then  through  a  labyrinth  of  lumber-rooms  he 
reached  the  door  of  a  retired  apartment ;  here  he  knocked 
softly  three  times;  a  bolt  inside  was  drawn  and  the  door 
opened.  "  Is  all  secure  ?"  was  whispered  in  the  steward's 
ear. 

"  Yes ;  they  are  all  asleep  at  last,"  was  the  whispered  reply. 
'•'  There  is  no  time  to  waste ;  take  off  your  boots ;  you  must 
go  in  your  stockings  as  I  do." 

"  Whither  are  you  taking  me  ?"  the  man  asked. 

"  Down-stairs  and  through  the  blue  room  to  the  Baron." 

"  Why  not  down  the  back-stairs,  as  I  came  up  ?" 

"  Because  two  sentinels  were  placed  there  this  very  after 
noon.     Quick !  quick !  we  have  no  time  to  parley ;  the  Baron 
has  been  expecting  you  for  more  than  an  hour." 

The  maire,  for  it  was  Foumier,  of  whom  Bepuin  had  spoken 
to  Sorr,  obeyed.  In  his  stockings  he  noiselessly  followed  his 
conductor,  who  cautiously  guided  him  down  the  grand  stair- 
case to  the  door  of  the  blue  room,  at  which  Gervais  had  ap- 
peared before  Kurt.  When  it  had  admitted  them  and  was 
closed  behind  them,  the  steward  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  No 
officers  were  quartered  in  this  wing ;  he  paused  and  handed 
the  lantcrc  to  the  maire,  saying,  in  a  low  tone,  "  Now  you  can 

U8 


326  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

find  your  way  to  the  Baron  without  my  help.     I  will  blip 
back  to  my  room  in  the  darkness." 

"  Are  you  not  coming  with  me  to  the  Baron  ?" 

"  No ;  it  is  unnecessary ;  he  knows  all  that  I  have  been 
able  to  discover ;  he  will  tell  you  what  you  ought  to  know 
Farewell,  Monsieur  Fournier ;  I  will  go  and  pray  the  sainto 
to  get  you  safely  out  of  the  castle." 

"  I  shall  get  off  safely  ;  at  least  these  cursed  Germans  shall 
never  capture  me  alive,  and  woe  to  the  man  who  attempts 
to  detain  me  !     I  will  not  die  unavenged  !" 

The  two  men  separated,  and  the  maire  pursued  his  way  to 
the  door  of  the  Baron's  room,  where  he  found  instant  admit- 
tance. 

De  Nouart  was  pacing  restlessly  to  and  fro  ;  he  had  been 
awaiting  Fournier  for  more  than  an  hour,  and  had  begun  to 
fear  that  some  accident  had  befallen  him.  "  At  last  you  are 
come !"  he  exclaimed.  *'  I  was  almost  crazed  with  terror  lest 
you  had  been  discovered  !" 

"  No  one  suspects  that  I  am  in  the  castle." 

"  Thank  God  !  If  I  could  but  know  you  once  in  the  forest 
and  on  the  way  to  our  friends,  I  should  indeed  bless  my  lucky 
star !     We  have  all  taken  our  lives  in  our  hands,  maire." 

"  And  what  of  that  ?  To-day  or  to-morrow  what  matter  ? 
I  would  rather  it  were  to-day,  but  that  I  have  some  hope  of 
vengeance  upon  these  accursed  Germans." 

"  You  will  have  abundant  opportunity  for  that,"  the  Baron 
rejoined  ;  "  but  you  have  a  long  journey  to  make  to-night." 

"  Be  quick,  then ;  tell  me  my  errand  and  let  me  be  gone," 
the  man  said,  gloomily. 

"  You  can  serve  your  desire  for  revenge  upon  your  boy's 
murderers  in  no  way  more  surely  than  by  carrying  the  im- 
portant intelligence  to  Count  Repuin  that  the  enemy  is  to 
depart  to-morrow  morning  early  for  Nontron  and  Chalus , 
the  Uhlans  only  are  to  remain  in  Assais,  and  this  probably 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  327 

onlj  for  a  few  days.  All  this  Grervais  haa  learned  from  the 
colonel  himself.  If  Count  Repuin  has  collected  a  sufBcient 
force  to  make  an  attack,  he  must  be  quick  about  it  or  he  will 
find  no  foes  in  Assais." 

The  thought  that  the  hated  Prussians  might  escape  lent 
wings  to  the  maire's  resolve ;  he  leaped  from  the  window,  as 
Count  Repuin  had  formerly  done,  and  vanished  the  next  in- 
stant in  the  mist.  Again,  as  formerly,  did  the  Baron  listen, 
lest  a  shot  should  tell  of  the  discovery  of  the  fugitive,  whom  in 
truth  he  cared  for  as  little  as  for  that  other,  and  yet  for  whose 
safety  he  trembled.  His  anxiety  was  unnecessary,  the  deep 
silence  of  the  forest  was  unbroken. 

He  turned  from  the  window  and  gave  himself  up  to  reflec- 
tion upon  the  dangers  that  encompassed  him.  Had  he  done 
right  in  apprising  Repuin  of  the  intended  departure  of  the 
Saxo^?  If  the  Count  should  make  the  attack  and  be  re- 
pulsed, would  not  Prussian  vengeance  first  strike  the  French 
inmates  of  the  castle  ?  It  had  been  folly  to  incite  the  Count 
to  an  attack !  But  no,  whatever  came  of  it  he  must  keep  his 
word  to  the  Russian.  Prussian  vengeance  he  might  escape ; 
the  Russian's  never.  He  was  bound  body  and  soul  to  this 
man  whom  he  hated ;  he  could  not  free  himself  from  the 
chain. 

His  head  ached  with  the  thoughts  that  crowded  upon  him ; 
he  was  terribly  weary  and  exhausted.  There  was  one  way 
to  cure  this  dull  pain,  one  means  to  scare  away  this  terrible 
weakness ;  but  he  had  promised  not  to  use  it.  A  single  glass 
of  the  fiery  liquid  in  the  flask  on  the  sideboard  would  send 
the  blood  dancing  in  his  veins  again ;  a  single  glass  !  Repuin 
was  far  away,  there  was  not  the  slightest  danger  threatening 
for  the  moment ;  was  he  an  utter  slave  to  the  Russian  ?  No , 
he  would  endure  it  no  longer.  He  poured  out  a  glass  from 
the  flask  and  emptied  it  at  a  draught.  Ab,  this  waa  strength 
&nd  courage  to  face  the  friture !    Another  and  another.     He 


328  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

had  not  slept  o'nights  of  late,  now  lie  began  to  feel  delight- 
ftdly  drowsy.  By  the  time  the  flask  was  finished  he  had 
slipped  from  his  arm-chair  to  the  floor,  where  he  lay  until  the 
following  day. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Early  the  next  morning,  immediately  after  sunrise,  the 
Saxon  regiment  fell  back  upon  Nontron.  The  weather  waa 
superb,  and  had  its  effect  upon  both  officers  and  men,  although 
Count  von  Schlichting  felt  it  his  duty  to  warn  Captain  von 
Saben  before  his  departure  that  he  must  be  upon  his  guaid 
against  treachery.  The  old  colonel  did  not  like  to  leave  io 
small  a  force  in  so  hostile  a  country,  infested  on  all  sides  by 
franctireurs,  and  not  even  the  brilliant  sunshine  and  the  relief 
from  inaction  could  altogether  dispel  his  regret  at  leaving  them 
thus. 

Kurt  von  Poseneck  was  at  some  distance  from  Assais  when 
the  Saxons  left  it.  He  had,  with  a  command  of  about  a  dozen 
Uhlans,  been  ordered  to  make  a  reconnoissance  in  search  of 
franctireurs,  and  he  could  not,  of  course,  take  leave  of  his 
friends.  When  he  returned  in  the  afternoon  Arno  and  Sty- 
rum  had  both  gone,  and  Kurt  found  only  his  captain,  Von 
Saben,  and  two  comrades  ready  in  the  large  dining-hall  to  par- 
take of  the  excellent  dinner  provided  for  them  by  Monsieur 
Gervais. 

Had  the  sun  not  shone  so  brilliantly  the  large  hall  would 
have  seemed  gloomy  enough,  and  even  as  it  was  the  emptiness 
and  quiet  of  the  apartment,  where  lately  so  much  noisy  gayety 
had  held  sway,  had  a  depressing  effect  upon  the  Uhlan  officers, 
which  Kurt's  report  was  not  calculated  to  dissipate.     Even 


■i^li. 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  •      32S 

Von  Sfiben  looked  grave,  and  was  reminded  of  the  colonel's 
parting  words. 

Kurt  had  nowhere  found  an  enemy ;  if  there  really  were 
bands  of  franctireurs  in  the  vicinity  they  had  withdrawn 
into  the  forest  of  Assais,  which  afforded  hiding-places  from 
which  cavalry  were  powerless  to  drive  them.  This  forest 
was  a  sort  of  continuation  of  the  castle  park,  and  if  danger 
there  were,  it  lay  in  the  probability  of  an  attack  upon  the 
castle  from  this  direction.  That  such  a  danger  existed  Kurt 
was  convinced  by  the  behaviour  of  the  country-people  in  all 
directions.  They  had  shown  no  open  hostility  to  the  Uhlans, 
but  their  demeanour  had  been  that  of  men  looking  forward 
to  a  time  near  at  hand  when  they  might  take  revenge  upon 
their  foes.  At  all  events  this  had  been  the  impression  pro- 
duced upon  Kurt's  mind,  and  Captain  von  Saben  so  far  heeded 
it  as  to  double  the  watch  at  various  posts  around  the  castle, 
and  to  take  other  precautions  to  insure  safety. 

Kurt  withdrew  early  from  the  dinner-table,  intending  to 
write  letters  in  his  room,  and  as  he  passed  along  the  corridor 
towards  it  his  resolve  of  the  previous  night  suddenly  oc- 
curred to  his  mind.  He  was  directly  opposite  the  door  at 
which  Grervais  had  appeared,  and  the  steward  was  at  present 
busy  in  the  dining-hall,  which  he  could  not  leave  for  some 
time  to  come.  There  could  be  no  time  more  favourable  than 
the  present  for  his  exploration  of  this  part  of  the  castle.  He 
tried  the  door  at  which  he  stood :  it  opened  easUy ;  he  entered, 
and  closed  it  behind  him. 

He  found  himself  in  a  large  room  hung  with  blue,  and 
somewhat  dark,  as  it  was  lighted  by  but  one  window ;  it 
was  only  a  thoroughfare,  as  was  plain  from  the  ftirniture, 
that  consisted  simply  of  cabinets  placed  against  the  walls. 
Kurt  went  to  the  window,  and  found  that  he  had  been  correct 
in  suspecting  that  the  room  led  to  the  wing  extending  into 
the  park,  in  which  were  the  Baron's  apartments ;  before  him 

28* 


330  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

was  the  lawn,  in  front  of  the  Baron's  windows,  and  to  the 
left  was  the  park  itself ;  he  could  even  see  the  path  by  which 
he,  with  his  two  friends,  had  on  the  previous  day  visited  the 
stables  at  the  back  of  the  gardener's  house,  where  the  Baron 
kept  a  fine  pair  of  riding-horses,  belonging  to  his  cousin  the 
Marquise. 

Which  of  the  four  doors  that  opened  into  this  apartment 
should  he  select  ?  He  tried  the  one  nearest  him ;  it  was  un- 
locked, and  he  entered  a  room  furnished  with  the  greatest 
luxury,  and  leading  by  an  open  door  to  a  bedroom  as  gor- 
geously fitted  up.  A  writing-table  stood  beside  the  window, 
and  an  open  portfolio,  from  between  the  leaves  of  which, 
as  Kurt  took  it  up,  fluttered  a  torn  envelope,  addressed  in 
Grerman  to  the  "  Herr  Count  Repuin."  Count  Repuin  !  Kurt 
knew  the  name  but  too  well.  Herr  Ahlbom  had  at  Lucie's 
request  told  him  his  daughter's  sad  story,  and  this  name 
was  branded  in  his  memory  as  that  of  Lucie's  unprincipled 
persecutor.  And  he  found  it  here  upon  an  empty  envelope 
postmarked  Brussels.  The  connection  was  easy  to  divine, 
Repuin  was  the  brother  of  the  Marquise  de  Lancy,  and  the 
former  inmate  of  this  room.  But  he  had  not  fled  to  Germany 
alone  :  Sorr  had  accompanied  him.  There  suddenly  occurred 
to  Kurt  an  explanation  of  the  fact  that  Styrum,  Arno,  and  the 
colonel,  to  all  of  whom  Sorr  was  personally  known,  had  been 
puzzled  by  the  resemblance  of  the  Baron  de  Nouart  to  some 
one  whose  name  they  could  not  recall.  If  all  this  were  as  he 
suspected,  if  Repuin,  the  proscribed  French  agent,  were  really 
the  brother  of  the  Marquise  de  Lancy,  if  his  tool,  Sorr,  were 
here  in  the  castle  in  disguise,  certainly  the  greatest  caution  was 
necessary ;  there  was  danger  of  treachery  on  every  hand,  danger 
that  perhaps  could  be  ayerted  only  by  the  instant  arrest  of 
the  Baron  de  Nouart.  And  yet,  could  mere  suspicion  justify 
such  an  arrest  ?  The  man  would  have  to  be  taken  to  Non- 
tron,  and  tried  there  by  a  court-martial,  which,  under  the 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  331 

direction  of  the  pitiless  Count  Schlichting,  could  end  but  in 
one  way, — death. 

Kurt  tliought  of  Celia's  friend,  of  Frau  von  Sorr ;  the 
death  of  her  worthless  husband  would  restore  her  to  life.  But 
in  an  instant  he  spurned  the  unworthy  thought.  His  friend- 
ship for  Lucie  should  never  influence  him  where  duty  wa» 
concerned.  This  duty,  however,  bade  him  reveal  his  discover} 
to  his  superior  officer ;  it  was  for  him  to  command  in  this 
matter,  Kurt's  part  was  to  obey. 

The  light  was  dying  in  the  west,  he  had  not  time  to 
continue  his  explorations  thoroughly,  and,  after  satisfying 
himself  that  this  room  was  connected  with  De  Nouart's  apart- 
ments by  a  winding  staircase,  which  led  past  servants'  rooms, 
Kurt  returned  unmolested  to  the  blue  room,  whence  he  issued 
unobserved  into  the  corridor  leading  to  his  own  and  Von 
Saben's  quarters. 

He  found  his  captain  just  returned  to  his  room  from  a  tour 
of  inspection  of  the  posts  about  the  castle,  and  quite  ready  to 
listen  to  all  that  he  had  to  say.  Of  course  Von  Saben  knew 
nothing  of  Repuin  or  of  Sorr.  Kurt  explained  who  they 
were,  and  their  complicity  in  treasonable  plots  in  Grermany, 
without  in  any  way  mentioning  Frau  von  Sorr.  They  were 
both  proscribed  French  agents. 

"  The  address  on  the  envelope  is,  after  all,  your  only  ground 
for  siLspicion  that  the  proscribed  Count  Repuin  is  one  and  the 
same  peraon  with  the  brother  of  the  Marquise  de  Lancy,  and 
that  the  Baron  de  Nouart  is  a  German,  and  the  Herr  von 
Sorr  of  whom  you  speak,"  the  captain  said,  when  Kurt  had 
finished  his  narrative. 

"  That  and  the  resemblance  observed  by  Count  Schlich- 
ting, Count  Styrum,  and  the  Bardn  von  Hohenwald  between 
the  Baron  de  Nouart  and  some  one  whom  they  had  seen." 

"  But  neither  of  these  gentlemen  was  reminded  of  Sorr. 
Count   Schlichting  has  told   me  that  he  has  an  excellent 


■:'-????f 


332  CASTLE  HOHENWALr. 

memory  for  faces,  and  should  recognize  one  that  he  had  once 
seen,  even  after  twenty  years.  Would  he  not  instantly  have 
known  Sorr?" 

"  He  probably  never  imagined  that  he  should  find  him  here 
in  France  under  the  name  of  the  Baron  de  Nouart.  The 
Baron's  avoidance  of  us,  and  his  pretended  ignorance  of  the 
German  language,  seem  to  me  very  suspicious  circumstances." 
Kurt  remarked. 

"  And  yet  they  are  hardly  sufficient  to  warrant  my  arrest- 
ing him  and  sending  him  to  Nontron,"  the  captain  replied. 
"  The  colonel  is  an  excellent  man,  but  he  is  fond  of  a  short 
shrift,  and  apt  to  take  suspicion  for  certainty.  If  he  should 
discover  Sorr  and  the  Baron  to  be  one  and  the  same  person, 
he  would  have  the  poor  devil  shot  without  more  ado ;  and  it 
may  be  that,  even  although  he  wishes  to  avoid  us,  he  does 
not  meditate  treachery.  I  am  not  fond  of  courts-martial, 
Herr  von  Poseneck,  and  I  do  without  them  when  I  can. 
Your  discovery  is  certainly  of  importance,  and  it  behooves  us 
to  be  more  upon  our  guard  than  ever.  We  have  been  im- 
prudent in  instituting  no  thorough  search  of  the  castle.  This 
shall  be  undertaken  to-morrow,  and  if  we  find  proof  of  the 
Baron's  guilt  he  shall  be  brought  to  justice." 

All  the  officers,  Kurt  with  the  rest,  retired  early  on  this 
evening,  Kurt  imagining  that  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of 
the  day  would  insure  him  instant  repose.  But  this  was  not 
so  ;  he  lay  awake  hour  after  hour ;  sleep  fled  his  eyelids.  In 
vain  did  he  woo  her  by  all  familiar  means,  counting  slowly 
to  one  hundred,  reciting  mentally  verses  learned  in  childhood ; 
he  could  not  banish  fi-om  his  mind  his  last  conversation  with 
his  captain. 

At  last  he  sprang  out  of  bed.  Better  to  pace  his  room  to 
and  fro  for  an  hour  than  toss  restlessly  there.  The  moon 
wa«  at  the  full.     Kurt  went  to  the  window,  whence  he  had  a 


;vK?3s'<'  '^v  v"  •*"5'!'=f; v"-Js?!;t  t*' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  333 

clear  view  of  the  spacious  court-yard  of  the  castle.  Opposite 
lay  the  farm-buildings  in  which  a  part  of  the  Ulilans  were 
quartered,  the  stalls  being  appropriated  to  their  horses,  and 
back  of  those  Kurt  could  in  the  brilliant  moonlight  get  a 
view  of  a  portion  of  the  broad  road  leading  to  the  village. 
The  court-yard  was  empty ;  the  two  sentinels  posted  in  front 
of  the  stables  were  slowly  pacing  to  and  fro,  their  sabres 
resting  negligently  in  their  arms,  and  one  of  them,  as  Kurt 
was  looking,  so  far  forgot  his  duty  in  his  sense  of  security 
as  to  lean  against  the  house  and  rest.  This  was  a  culpable 
want  of  the  vigilance  which  the  captain  had  enjoined  upon 
the  guards  on  the  previous  evening.  The  lives  of  many  might 
depend  upon  the  watchfulness  of  any  one  of  the  sentinels 
posted  in  the  courtr-yard. 

Kurt  left  the  window  and  dressed,  not  hastily,  but  quite 
leisurely ;  he  would  himself  go  down  to  the  court-yard  and 
make  an  example  of  any  soldier  not  vigilant  at  his  post.  He 
needed  no  light;  the  moonlight  was  all  that  he  required. 
When  quite  dressed  he  sat  for  a  moment,  his  head  resting 
on  his  hand,  reflecting  whether  it  were  not  perhaps  best  to 
visit  the  sentries  placed  in  the  park,  when  he  was  suddenly 
startled  by  a  shot;  another  and  another  came  in  quick 
succession,  and  then  followed  a  sharp  rattle  of  musketry, 
apparently  in  the  very  court-yard. 

Kurt  iTished  to  the  window.  Where  was  the  scene  of 
repose  and  security  upon  which  he  had  looked  out  little  more 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  previously?  A  disorderly  crowd 
of  armed  men,  some  hundreds  strong,  was  pouring  in  at  the 
court-yard  gates  and  rushing  towards  the  farm  buildings  and 
stables,  while  along  the  road  from  the  village  a  dark  mass 
was  moving  quickly,  the  moonlight  glinting  here  and  there 
upon  polished  rifle-barrels.  In  a  few  moments  the  assailants 
had  attained  their  end ;  the  two  sentinels  were  shot  down, 
the  doors  (f  the  farm  buildings  and  stables  were  forced ;  there 


ft.*'' 


334  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

were  but  a  few  scattered  carbine-shots  in  answer  to  the  con- 
tinuous rattle  of  musketry  ;  victory  over  the  Uhlans  quartered 
there  was  easy  for  such  overpowering  numbers. 

One  glance  sufficed  to  show  Kurt  the  danger  threatening 
the  entire  squadron.  All  in  the  farm  buildings  were  lost ;  it 
might  still  be  possible,  however,  to  save  the  officers  in  the 
castle  and  the  men  in  the  village,  but  not  a  moment  must  be 
wasted,  for  already  about  thirty  franctireurs  had  turned  from 
the  farm  buildings  and  were  advancing  towards  the  castle. 
Kurt's  presence  of  mind  stood  him  in  stead  now  as  it  had 
done  formerly  in  America.  He  sav7  plainly  that  there  was 
but  one  course  by  which  death  or  capture  could  be  evaded, 
— flight.  Resistance  to  such  an  overwhelming  force  would 
be  madness.  He  could  not  even  rouse  his  brother  officers 
on  the  ground-floor  of  the  castle ;  the  franctireurs  would  be 
there  before  him.  The  captain  he  could  rouse,  and  together 
they  might  escape  into  the  side  wing  of  the  castle,  through 
the  room  explored  so  short  a  time  since  by  Kurt,  and  thence 
into  the  park.  If  they  could  succeed  in  reaching  the  stables 
behind  the  gardener's  house,  where  they  had  seen  the  horses, 
they  might  perhaps  be  able  to  ride  by  roundabout  ways  to 
the  village  in  time  to  save  the  Uhlans  quartered  there.  In 
an  instant  Kurt  had  girded  on  his  sabre  and  armed  him- 
self with  a  revolver ;  then  opening  the  door  of  the  captain's 
room,  he  found  Von  Siiben  just  about  to  step  out  of  it.  He 
had  been  unwilling,  after  his  conversation  with  Kurt,  to  go 
to  bed,  but  had  determined  to  inspect  the  various  posts  after 
midnight,  and  had  thrown  himself  into  an  arm-chair,  where, 
however,  he  had  slept  soundly  until  awakened  by  the  noise 
of  the  struggle  in  the  court-yard.  He,  too,  had  recognized 
from  his  window,  as  Kurt  had  done,  the  folly  of  resistance 
to  so  numerous  a  foe,  but  he  was  nevertheless  about  to  go 
down  to  the  court-yard  when  Kurt  rushed  into  his  room. 
"  You  were  right,  Herr  von  Poseneck,"  he  said ;  "  that  villain 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  335 

Sorr  has  betrayed  us !  All  is  lost !  There  is  nothing  for 
us  but  to  die  with  our  brave  fellows ;  our  place  is  down  there 
among  them." 

He  spoke  as  quietly  as  though  he  were  inviting  Kurt  to 
walk  with  him  in  the  park ;  he  awaited  no  reply,  but  wa* 
striding  on  to  the  head  of  the  grand  staircase  when  Kurl 
detained  him.  "  There  is  nothing  to  be  done  down  there 
captain,"  he  said ;  "  the  castle  is  lost,  but  we  may  escape  tr' 
the  village  and  muster  our  men." 

"  How  ?  In  one  minute  the  rogues  will  be  in  the  castie ; 
the  maire  of  the  village  and  Gervais — I  recognized  th»jm 
both — are  leading  the  band  that  is  evidently  resolved  upop 
capturing  us  in  our  rooms." 

"  Still  there  is  no  need  to  throw  away  our  lives, — ^we  mtist 
make  an  attempt  to  save  our  fellows  in  the  village ;  perhapf 
escape  is  possible  through  the  side-wing." 

"  Go  on ;  I  will  follow  you  !" 

Not  another  word  was  spoken ;  Kurt  hurried  on,  revolver 
in  hand,  the  captain  close  upon  his  heels.  When  the  two 
officers  had  reached  the  blue  room  they  could  plainly  hear 
the  blows  of  the  franctireurs  upon  the  doors  of  the  rooms 
on  the  ground-floor;  in  another  instant  the  two  men  had 
entered  the  room,  closed  the  door  behind  them,  and  hurried 
through  the  other  apartments  towards  the  side-wing. 

"  Saved,"  whispered  Kurt ;  "  no  one  is  quartered  in  this 
wing,  we  shall  encounter  no  enemy  here."  He  was  right ; 
neither  the  Baron  de  Nouart  nor  Gervais  had  dreamed  that 
the  German  officers  could  escape  through  this  unknown  wing 
and  no  precautions  had  been  taken  to  prevent  their  doing 
so.  The  wing  was  deserted  and  silent ;  the  din  of  the 
struggle  in  the  court-yard  sounded  indistinct  and  muffled. 
Kurt,  followed  by  his  captain,  rushed  down  the  winding  stair- 
case to  the  passage  on  the  ground-floor.  By  this  the  captain 
would  have  gained  the  park ;  but  Kurt  again  detained  him. 


536  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  That  door  can  be  seen  from  the  court-yard,"  he  said,  "  and 
if  we  are  perceived  we  shall  have  the  whole  rabble  about  our 
ears.  We  must  find  a  way  into  the  park  through  the  win- 
dow of  some  one  of  these  rooms."  He  tried  the  first  door 
they  came  to ;  it  opened  and  admitted  the  two  officers  to  a 
lighter  apartment.  Here  an  unexpected  sight  met  their  eyes. 
In  an  arm-chair  before  a  table,  upon  which  stood  his  beloved 
brandy-flask,  sat  the  Baron  de  Nouart.  He  had  had  recourse 
to  his  favourite  stimulant  to  steady  his  nerves  while  he  sat 
in  terrified  expectation  of  the  attack.  A  revolver  lay  upon 
the  table  ready,  if  he  should  be  forced  to  take  any  part  in 
the  fray. 

When  the  door  was  suddenly  opened  and  he  saw  before 
him  the  two  Prussian  officers,  Kurt  with  a  revolver,  the 
captain  with  a  drawn  sabre,  the  Baron  sprang  to  his  feet 
and  glared  at  the  intruders  with  lack-lustre  eyes.  He  was 
half  intoxicated,  he  could  hardly  stand  upright,  but  he  still 
had  sense  enough  to  clutch  at  his  revolver  to  defend  him- 
self 

But  his  hand  never  touched  the  weapon  ;  before  he  could 
grasp  it  the  captain  stretched  him  on  the  floor  with  a  tre- 
mendous blow,  delivered  with  all  his  force,  of  his  drawn  sabre. 
He  fell  without  a  sound. 

"  Is  he  dead?"  the  captain  asked. 

"  We  cannot  wait  to  see,"  Kurt  replied  ;  "  at  all  events  he 
cannot  betray  us  !"     And  he  hurried  to  the  window.     The 
lawn  between  the  wing  and  the  forest  lay  quiet  in  the  moon 
light ;  not  a  man  was  to  be  seen.      He  listened, — only  the 
distant  noise  in  the  court-yard  fell  upon  his  ear. 

He  opened  the  window  and  lightly  sprang  out ;  the  captain 
followed  him,  confiding  himself  blindly  to  Kurt's  guidance. 
They  ran  with  lightning  speed  across  the  lawn,  and  then  in 
the  shadow  of  the  forest  to  the  gardener's  house.  All  here 
was  quiet, — every  one  had  hurried  to  the  court-yard;  the 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  337 

Btable-door  was  open  ;  there  stood  the  two  noble  horses,  their 
saddles  and  bridles  hanging  upon  the  wall. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it  the  two  cavalry  officers 
were  in  the  saddle  and  galloping  ftiriously  by  a  back-road  to 
the  village. 

A  savage  yell  resounded  from  the  castle.  From  one  of  the 
lighted  windows  of  the  wing  several  shots  were  fired,  but 
the  bullets  whistled  harmlessly  past  the  riders'  ears  ;  the  be- 
wildering moonlight  prevented  the  marksmen  from  aiming 
truly. 

"  Our  flight  is  discovered.  The  forest  is  our  only  chance. 
This  way !"  Kurt  cried,  as  he  drove  the  spurs  into  his  horse's 
sides  and  turned  towards  a  narrow  forest  road  that  led  by  a 
longer  roundabout  way  to  the  village. 

The  captain  followed ;  but  just  as  he  entered  the  woods 
several  shots  again  flashed  from  the  castle  window ;  he  wavered 
in  his  saddle :  a  bullet  had  struck  him  in  the  side  ;  he  grasped 
his  horse's  mane  with  his  right  hand,  and  managed  to  keep 
his  seat  and  continue  his  furious  gallop  after  Kurt. 

The  fugitives  succeeded  at  last  in  gaining  the  open  beyond 
the  wood,  but  here  Kurt  first  noticed  his  companion's  con- 
vulsive grip  of  his  horse's  mane  and  his  failing  exertions  to 
keep  himself  upright  in  the  saddle.  "  Are  you  wounded  ?" 
he  asked,  anxiously. 

There  was  no  reply.  Loss  of  blood  had  produced  uncon- 
sciousness, and  Kurt  caught  his  captain  in  his  arms  just  in 
time  to  prevent  him  from  falling  from  his  horse.  He  dis' 
mounted  with  his  lifeless  burden,  and,  laying  it  upon  the  grass 
beneath  a  tree,  looked  about  for  help.  He  remembered  that 
a  mounted  sentinel  had  been  stationed  here,  where  the  forest 
road  ended  in  the  open ;  but  there  was  no  horseman  to  be  seen. 
He  could  not  have  deserted  his  post  •,  a  brief  inspection  of  the 
surrounding  field  in  the  moonlight  showed  him  that  the  sol- 
dier had  been  true  to  his  duty ;  he  was  lying  dead  in  a  pool 
W  29 


ffW 


338  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 


of  blood  at  a  little  distance  ;  his  horse  was  nowhere  to  be  seen 
^probably  his  murderers  had  carried  it  off. 

What  was  to  be  done  ?  Every  moment  of  delay  was  ruin. 
The  enemy  had  discovered  the  flight  of  the  two  officers,  there 
were  horses  enough  to  be  had  for  pursuit,  and,  although 
Kurt's  short  experience  of  his  steed  had  convinced  him  that  he 
need  not  dread  this  for  himself,  he  could  not  desert  his  cap- 
tain ;  how  was  he  to  be  carried  to  a  place  of  safety  ?  Duty 
called  Kurt  to  Assais,  where,  as  a  few  straggling  shots  informed 
him,  the  fray  had  already  begun,  and  duty  forbade  his  aban- 
doning his  wounded  captain  to  the  pursuing  franctireurs.  He 
could  not  delay,  the  moments  were  priceless.  "  To  Assais  !" 
he  exclaimed  to  himself.  The  outnumbered  Uhlans  there 
needed  a  leader,  who  might  perhaps  save  some  few  from  cap- 
tivity and  death ;  the  captain  himself  would  never  have 
hesitated  to  sacrifice  his  life  for  his  men ;  had  he  been  con- 
scious he  would  surely  have  ordered  his  lieutenant  to  leave 
him  to  his  fate. 

He  swung  himself  into  the  saddle  again  and  rode  towards 
the  village,  but  reined  in  his  horse  as  he  reached  the  top  of 
a  small  eminence,  whence  he  had  a  full  moonlit  view  of  As- 
sais. A  dark  mass  of  combatants  was  heaving  to  and  fro 
between  him  and  the  nearest  houses  of  the  village,  whence 
came  a  sharp  rattle  of  firearms  ;  the  crowd  parted,  and  a  por- 
tion of  it  approached  him  rapidly.  His  heart  beat  high 
as  he  recognized  it  to  be  a  detachment  of  Uhlans  that  had 
escaped  from  the  village  and  was  now  galloping  towards  him. 
There  were  but  a  dozen  of  them,  and  as  he  rode  to  meet  them 
with  a  thundering  "  Halt!"  they  obeyed  instantly,  and  an  old 
sergeant,  who  recognized  the  lieutenant,  gave  him  an  account 
of  an  attack  upon  the  village,  which  had  taken  place  almost 
simultaneously  with  that  upon  the  castle.  The  outlying 
guard  must  have  been  fallen  upon  unawares  and  murdered 
by  the  villagers,  as  not  one  shot  had  been  heard  from  them. 


CASTLE  EOHENWALD.  339 

The  Uhlans  had  been  surprised  in  their  quarters  by  an  over- 
whelming force  of  franetireurs, — ten  Frenchmen  to  one  Prus- 
sian,— but  in  the  general  confusion  this  little  band  had 
managed  to  get  to  horse  and  cut  their  way  through  the 
enemy.  "  If  the  cursed  Frenchman  had  only  known  how  to 
handle  their  chassepots  better,"  the  old  man  added,  "  not  an 
Uhlan  would  have  escaped."  He  did  not  fear  pursuit,  "  for 
the  bumpkins  had  no  idea  of  managing  an  Uhlan  horse." 

The  sergeant's  tale  convinced  Kurt  of  the  tragic  fate  of  the 
squadron, — probably  for  the  most  part  surprised  in  their  beds, 
murdered  or  taken  prisoner ;  all  thought  of  rescuing  them  was 
vain.  And  yet  the  young  officer  was  sorely  tempted  to  make 
one  dash  into  Assais  at  the  head  of  the  fugitives  to  rescue 
any  of  their  comrades  who  might  be  prisoners  there.  It  cost 
him  a  hard  struggle  to  decide  to  leave  Assais  without  one 
blow  struck  at  the  foe  ;  but  he  knew  that  duty  called  him  to 
Nontron.  He  ordered  three  men  to  ride  on  before  aa  quickly 
as  their  horses  could  carry  them  to  announce  the  fate  of  the 
squadron,  and  with  the  rest  he  rode  back  to  where  the  cap- 
tain wa»  lying,  that  he  also  might  be  safely  transported 
thither. 


CHi^PTER    XXV. 

Theke  was  bavage  revelry  in  Assais.  It  was  the  first  vic- 
tory that  these  men,  but  lately  mustered  into  service,  had 
gained  over  the  dreaded  Prussians, — a  victory  all  the  more 
brilliant  since  it  had  been  won  at  so  little  loss.  Only  two 
franetireurs  had  fallen  in  the  short  conflict, — five  or  six  had 
been  wounded,  and  the  Baron  de  Nouart  had  been  found 
dead  in  his  room  with  his  skull  cloven. 

This  was  the  entire  loss  sufiered  by  the  fortunate  victors, 


340  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

who  had   almost  annihilated  an  entire  squadron  of  those 
Uhlans  of  whose  ferocity  such  fearful  stories  were  told. 

The  light-hearted  conquerors  paid  no  heed  to  the  fact  that 
a  couple  of  dozen  of  the  enemy  and  several  officers  had  escaped ; 
they  had  no  fear  of  the  fugitives,  they  had  not  even  attempted 
to  pursue  them. 

Intoxicated  with  victory,  the  exultant  franctireurs  rushed 
through  the  village  ;  the  slight  bonds  of  discipline  that  had 
restrained  them  at  the  beginninsr  of  the  attack  were  rent 
asunder,  and  Count  Repuin,  their  commander,  with  two  or 
three  French  officers,  attempted  in  vain  to  stem  the  torrent ; 
all  commands  were  unheeded. 

The  franctireurs  associated  the  villagers  with  them  in  a 
search  for  any  Prussians  that  might  still  be  concealed  in  the 
village,  murdering  any  such  when  found,  and  dragging  their 
corpses  through  the  mud  with  savage  yells,  that  made  night 
hideous.  Even  women,  drunk  with  the  desire  for  revenge, 
aided  their  husbands  and  sons  in  this  ferocious  work,  muti- 
lating the  dead  in  their  fury  and  inciting  others  to  the  same 
horrors.  But  there  were  exceptions ;  here  and  there  a  wife 
or  maiden  of  Assais  risked  her  life  to  conceal  some  Prussian 
fugitive  from  the  fury  of  husband  or  lover. 

Count  Repuin  looked  on  aghast  at  the  savagery  of  the  in- 
sane mob,  who  had  thus  thrown  aside  all  law  and  order.  He 
hated  the  Prussians  from  his  soul,  he  was  their  implacable 
foe  ;  but  this  wholesale  murder,  this  cowardly  mutilation  of 
the  dead,  aroused  his  indignation ;  he  felt  that  he  had  con 
jured  up  spirits  that  he  lacked  the  power  to  control. 

Again  and  again  he  attempted  to  restore  some  degree 
of  order,  but  his  commands  were  received  with  shouts  of 
derisioji,  and  he  owed  it  to  the  interference  of  some  of  his 
officers  that  the  rage  of  the  franctireurs  was  not  turned 
against  himself.  There  were  scowling  looks  accompanying 
muttered  curses  of  the  foreigner  who  dared  to  intercede  for 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  341 

Prussians,  and  he  was  obliged  to  look  on  inactive  at  the 
jiurderous  work. 

He  was  perhaps  the  only  one  of  the  victors  who  felt  no 
joy  whatever  in  the  victory.  His  plan  had  been  to  inspire 
his  raw  troops  with  courage  and  confidence  by  an  easy  con- 
quest, and  he  had  intended  to  withdraw  in  good  order  with 
his  prisoners  as  soon  as  the  victory  was  won.  He  now  with- 
drew, after  a  last  vain  attempt  to  restore  order,  to  the  dining- 
hall  of  the  castle,  where,  with  one  of  his  young  officers,  he 
paced  restlessly  to  and  fro.  At  each  outburst  of  exultation 
that  reached  his  ears  from  without  he  vented  savage  curses 
upon  the  canaille,  who  did  not  deserve  that  a  man  of  honour 
should  command  them.  He  knew  only  too  well  that  each 
hour  as  it  sped  past  increased  the  danger  that  the  easy-won 
victory  would  be  converted  into  a  disgraceful  defeat. 

The  officers  of  the  squadron  had  escaped ;  the  two  lieu- 
tenants on  the  ground-floof  had  probably  been  awakened  by  the 
first  shots  and  had  fled  into  the  forest,  leaving  their  uniforms 
behind  them ;  from  these  there  was  not  much  to  fear,  but 
the  captain  and  his  companion,  who  had  slain  the  Baron  de 
Nouart  when  he  had  probably  attempted  to  impede  their 
flight,  had  also  escaped,  and  upon  two  fleet  horses.  The  shots 
fired  aft^r  them  had  been  unavailing  ;  they  could  reach  Non- 
tron  in  a  short  time  and  summon  the  colonel,  Count  Schlich- 
ting,  to  the  rescue. 

And  then  ?  Repuin  cast  a  glance  at  the  stiffened  corpse 
of  the  Baron  de  Nouart,  which  had  been  brought  into  the 
dining-hall  and  lay  there  on  the  floor  in  a  comer  half  covered 
with  a  piece  of  carpet.  He  thought  of  his  last  conversation 
with  him,  of  how  he  had  been  wakmed  by  him  not  to  attempt 
an  attack  upon  a  foe  so  much  the  stronger.  "  Count  Schlich- 
ting  knows  no  mercy!"  had  been  Sorr's  words.  Then  the 
Count  had  received  them  with  a  sneer ;  now,  as  he  thought 
of  the  near  future,  they  filled  him  with  horror.     The  cclone' 

29* 


1 


342  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

had  already  heard  of  the  struggle  in  Assais- ;  he  was  even  now 
at  the  head  of  his  regiment  on  the  way  hither  from  Nontron 
to  rescue  and  to  avenge. 

Repuin  was  innately  brave ;  he  could  laugh  danger  and 
death  to  scorn  in  the  heat  of  battle,  but  the  idea  of  being  taken 
prisoner  and  shot  in  cold  blood  by  the  hated  Germans  drove 
the  blood  from  his  cheek.  He  turned  to  the  young  officer  at 
his  side  and  confided  his  fears  to  him,  commissioning  him  to 
make  one  more  attempt  with  a  few  experienced  soldiers  to 
assemble  the  men  in  some  degree  of  order. 

The  officer  promised  to  do  his  best,  but  his  e^ort*  were 
fruitless  until  it  was  too  late. 

The  franctireurs,  scattered  through  the  village,  refused  to 
obey  the  bugle-call ;  they  were  engaged  in/a  wild  orgie  with 
some  of  the  country-people.  Wine  flowed  in  streams,  and 
there  were  loud  shouts  of  "  Vive  la  France  !  vive  la  victoire !" 
that  never  ceased  until  a  breathless  messenger  spread  tht 
news  through  the  village  with  the  speed  of  lightning  that  a 
Grerman  host  was  marching  upon  Assais  along  the  roads  from 
Nontron  and  Chains,  and  that  it  would  be  upon  them  in  less 
than  half  an  hour.  This  intelligence  sobered  in  an  instant 
those  drunk  with  wine  and  conquest.  Now  they  hurried  to 
obey  the  bugle-call,  but  it  was  too  late !  An  orderly  retreat 
was  no  longer  possible.  This  Repuin  perceived,  as  from  the 
castle  he  marked  the  close  ranks  of  the  approaching  enemy, 
who,  thanks  to  the  mad  neglect  and  want  of  discipline  of  the 
franctireurs,  was  so  near  that  he  would  reach  the  village  before 
the  scattered  Frenchmen  could  assemble  together.  Were 'not 
fugitives  already  scouring  the  fields  upon  the  horses  of  the 
slain  Uhlans  ?  Should  a  panic  ensue,  rescue  would  be  impos- 
sible ;  there  might  be  something,  an  honorable  death  at  least, 
gained  from  a  stubborn  defence  of  both  castle  and  village. 

The  bitter  conflict  lasted  several  hours ;  the  Frenchmen, 
80  lately  taken  from  the  plough  and  work-bench,  the  franc- 


?^i^g'-S!-,-^.^j-^!^»™^w=5jr¥,'r;v--- '-■ ,!  '.Tff-,-^  -:■-•-: ,^^.:J .:'ri:'f^^,r!i^{ry^r''-:. I'   ■  ;   'Tf 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  343 

lireurs,  so  despised  by  the  Germans,  defended  every  house  in 
the  village,  and  last  of  all  the  castle  itself,  with  a  courage  and 
heroi'm  worthy  of  better  success. 

Tb«  same  franctireurs  who,  scorning  all  discipline,  had 
been  converted  into  a  mob  of  murderous  savages  by  victory 
over  defenceless  Uhlans  surprised  in  sleep,  returned  instantly 
to  their  duty  when  a  hard  battle  was  imminent.  The  ex- 
ample of  a  few  cowards  who  escaped  upon  the  Uhlan  horses 
found  no  followers.  The  young  men  with  the  villagers 
fought  with  desperate  courage ;  even  the  wounded  refused  to 
yield,  and  fell  fighting  to  the  last  in  a  hopeless  struggle  against 
the  superior  organization  and  numbers  of  the  Saxons,  who, 
although  at  heavy  loss,  stormed  every  house  in  the  village, 
and  finally  gained  possession  of  the  castle  itself. 

Only  a  very  few  of  the  French  succeeded  in  escaping  to  the 
forest,  where  they  scattered ;  the  rest  atoned  with  their  lives 
for  their  brief  period  of  conquest,  and  the  crimes  committed 
in  Assais. 

The  conflict  had  been  terrible,  crushing  for  the  conquered, 
and  tragic  enough  for  the  victors,  who  had  sustained  heavy 
losses.  If  the  firanctireurs  had  been  better  marksmen  and 
had  not  suffered  &om  the  death  of  their  leader.  Count  Rep- 
uin,  early  in  the  fray,  they  would  have  prolonged  the  stru^le, 
and  the  Grerman  losses  would  have  been  greater  still,  for  the 
French  had  the  advantage  of  a  sheltered  position. 

The  village  of  Assais,  when  the  battle  was  over,  presented 
a  ghastly  spectacle.  Among  the  dead  and  dying  that  cum- 
bered its  streets  the  Saxon  soldiers  were  searching  diligently 
for  wounded  comrades,  who  were  carried  to  the  castle,  wherp 
the  regimental  surgeons  had  their  hands  full. 

The  wounded  officers,  of  whom  there  were  not  a  few,  were 
carried  into  the  dining-hall,  where  pallets  had  been  arranged, 
upon  which  thoy  might  rest  for  the  brief  space  of  time  that 


34-A  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

the  regiment  could  remain  in  Assais.  Its  work  of  vengeance 
completed,  it  must  immediately  fall  back  again  upon  Non- 
tron. 

The  colonel's  face  was  grimly  sad  as  he  entered  the  hall 
for  a  personal  inspection  of  the  wounded.  "  We  have  suflFered 
heavily,"  he  said  to  Count  Styrum,  who,  with  his  arm  in  a 
sling,  approached  him.  "  Much  noble  blood  has  been  shed, 
and  I  take  blame  to  myself  for  it." 

"  What  possible  blame  can  attach  to  you,  colonel  ?" 

"  I  might  have  nipped  the  treachery  here  in  the  bud. 
From  the  first  I  mistrusted  that  Baron  de  Nouart  and  his 
tool  Grervais.  But  for  my  weakness  they  would  both  have 
been  brought  to  a  court-martial,  and  then  all  their  vil- 
lainous schemes  would  have  come  to  light,  your  arm,  Styrum, 
would  have  been  free  from  a  sling,  and  your  best  friends, 
Hohenwald  and  Poseneck,  would  not  be  lying  there  severely 
wounded.  How  is  it  with  Amo  ?  What  does  the  surgeon 
say?" 

"  He  gives  us  good  hope.  The  wound  is  serious ;  he  is 
still  unconscious,  but  the  surgeon  says  that  he  thinks  care:fiil 
nursing  will  bring  him  round." 

"  Careful  nursing !"  said  the  colonel.  "  And  where  is  he 
to  get  careful  nursing  in  this  God-forgotten  comer  of  France? 
In  two  hours  at  the  latest  we  must  take  up  our  march  for 
Nontron,  and  even  there  our  wounded  cannot  rest.  I  must 
send  them  on  farther.  What  nursing  can  they  have  in  the 
nearest  hospital?  They  are  all  over-crowded.  And  can 
Hohenwald  bear  the  transportation  to  a  hospital  ?" 

"  He  can  bear  a  farther  journey  than  that  if  taken  care- 
ftdly.  I  believe,  colonel,  that  I  can  save  Hohenwald's  life 
if  you  will  allow  of  my  undertaking  his  transportation  to  the 
only  place  where  he  will  find  health  for  both  body  and  soul." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you.  Count." 

"  Upon  a  charming  estate  on  the  Rhine,  near  S ,  a  lady 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  345 

hits  established  a  private  hospital;  beneath  her  care  Amo 
will,  I  am  sure,  recover." 

"  Aha !     I  see,  an  affair  of  the  heart.     Who  would  have 

suspected  it  of  our  misogynist  ?     But  S on  the  Rhine  is 

far  from  here." 

"  I  will  undertake  to  deliver  him  there  safely  with  your 
permission,  colonel.  My  wound  makes  me  incapable  of  ser- 
vice for  some  weeks,  but  I  have  strength  enough  to  superin- 
tend the  transportation  of  poor  Hohenwald  and  of  my  cousin, 

Kurt  von  Poseneck,  to  S .     Your  permission  is  all  that 

is  needed,  colonel." 

"  That  you  shall  have.  All  that  I  can  do  for  your  friends 
shall  be  done.     How  is  Poseneck  ?" 

"  Doing  fairly  well.  He  has  recovered  his  consciousness 
and  can  answer  for  himself.  His  bed  is  the  last ;  Amo's  is 
next  to  the  last." 

The  colonel  walked  down  the  row  of  beds,  accompanied 
by  Styrum,  saying  a  few  kind  words  to  each  of  the  wounded 
officers.  He  paused  for  some  minutes  beside  Amo's  couch, 
gazing  sadly  at  the  pale,  unconscious  figure  stretched  there. 
"  My  poor  old  friend !"  he  murmured.  "  It  will  be  a  hard 
blow  for  him  to  learn  that  his  darling  son  is  severely  wounded. 
I  must  write  to  him.  Better  hear  it  from  me  than  from  the 
papers.  It  ought  to  console  him  to  know  how  his  son  has 
distinguished  himself  to-day." 

"  It  will  console  him  still  ftirtlier,  colonel,"  Styrum  ob- 
served, "  if  you  will  add  in  your  letter  that  by  your  permission 
I  have  taken  Amo  and  my  cousin  Kurt  to  Kaltenbom,  near 

S .     He  will  be  quite  satisfied  that  Arno  will  be  preserved 

to  him  if  he  knows  that  he  is  to  be  tended  and  nursed  by 
one  whom  the  old  Baron  honours  and  loves  as  he  does  Fran 
von  Sorr." 

The  colonel  turned  hastily  and  looked  in  surprise  at  Styrum. 
"  What  name  did  you  say  ?"  he  asked,  eagerly. 


346  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  Fran  von  Sorr  is  the  lady  who  has  instituted  a  prirata 
hospital  on  her  father's  estate  of  Kaltenhorn." 

"  And  you  wish  to  take  Arno  to  her ;  you  would  confide 
him  to  Frau  von  Soft's  care  ?" 

"  Yes,  colonel ;  Frau  von  Sorr  lived  at  Castle  Hohenwald 
for  some  time  as  governess  to  Amo's  sister ;  she  is  warmly 
attached  to  the  family,  and  I  know  that  the  old  Freiherr 
holds  her  in  high  esteem." 

"  And  Arno  ?" 

"  Esteems  her  no  less  than  does  his  father." 

"  Hm  !  After  a  different  fashion,  perhaps,"  the  colonel 
said,  with  a  smile.  "  Be  assured  I  will  do  all  that  I  can  to 
further  your  wishes.  And,  by  the  way,  what  has  become  of 
that  scoundrel  Sorr?  Has  Poseneck's  suspicion  been  con- 
firmed ?  Is  the  Baron  de  Nouart,  whom  Captain  von  Saben 
laid  low  with  a  sabre-stroke,  found  to  be  one  and  the  same 
person  with  Herr  von  Sorr?" 

"  There  he  lies,"  Styrum  gravely  replied!  "  I  have  no 
doubt  upon  the  subject,  although  the  features  seem  greatly 
altered.  I  saw  Sorr  only  once  at  a  ball,  but  I  remember  him 
perfectly,  and  recognized  the  dead  man's  face,  although  it  is 
disguised  by  a  huge  false  beard." 

The  colonel  turned  and  looked  at  the  corpse  of  the  sup- 
posed Baron.  A  compassionate  maid  had  washed  the  blood 
from  the  face,  and  in  so  doing  had  loosened  the  false  beard, 
which  the  colonel  now  tossed  aside,  and  all  doubt  as  to  the 
man's  identity  instantly  vanished  from  the  minds  of  the  two 
officers. 

"It  is  indeed  he,"  said  Schlichting ;  "he  has  reaped  the 
reward  of  his  treachery,  as  has  also  Repuin,  who  was  shot 
dead  early  in  the  engagement.  I  think,  Styrum,  that  both 
you  and  Herr  von  Poseneck  will  agree  with  me  that  it  is  best 
80  ;  we  are  spared  the  dealing  out  to  them  the  death  of 
traitors." 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  347 

As  ho  spoke  lie  went  up  to  Kurt's  couch,  and  the  young 
man  was  quite  able  to  express  his  thanks  for  the  colonel's 
promised  aid  in  transporting  him  to  Kaltenbom.  The  sur- 
geon, however,  at  this  moment  made  his  appearance  and 
forbade  further  conversation,  as  Kurt's  wound  was  in  the 
chest  and  he  had  suffered  from  loss  of  blood.  Count 
Schlichting  therefore  gave  his  hand  a  farewell  pressure  and 
left  the  hall. 

I 
Several  months  have  elapsed  ;  how,  during  this  time,  those 
who  have  played  principal  parts  in  our  story  have  prospered 
may  be  gathered  from  the  following  communications  from  the 
widowed  Frau  von  Sorr  to  her  dearest  friend : 

"  Kaitbwborw,  December  18,  1870. 

"  Dearest  AdIile, — What  weeks  of  suspense  have  passed 
since  I  last  wrote  you ! — passed  amid  hopes  and  fears,  terrible 
distress,  and  yet  happiness  unspeakable.  I  could  not  write ; 
every  moment  that  was  not  spent  in  care  of  him  seemed 
wasted  in  disloyal  neglect. 

"  At  last  the  staff  surgeon  came  to  me  yesterday  with  a 
beaming  face  and  the  delicious  words,  '  Out  of  all  danger !' 
Since  then  I  have  been  in  a  dream  of  happiness,  and  my 
first  thought  is  to  make  you  the  sharer  of  my  joy. 

"  That  Amo  is  spared  to  me  I  owe  entirely  to  the  self- 
devotion  of  your  Karl.  He  has,  I  know,  written  to  you  how 
he  obtained  permission  to  bring  Amo  and  Kurt  von  Posen- 
eck  across  half  France  to  be  nursed  here  by  me.  But  he 
has  not,  I  am  sure,  told  you  at  what  an  expense  of  trouble  and 
strength  he  with  his  wound  did  this.  I  never  shall  forget 
the  moment,  now  just  six  weeks  ago,  when  he  came  to  meet 

me  below  in  the  hall.    A  messenger  on  horseback,  from  S , 

had  brought  word  that  three  wounded  officers,  among  whom 
was  Lieutenant  Kurt  von  Poseneck,  had  been  by  their  desin 


348  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

transferred  to  Kaltenbom  for  lodgment  and  nursing,  and  thai 
they  would  arrive  in  an  hour  at  the  latest.  I  was  ready  to 
receive  them,  too  glad  to  take  charge  of  Kurt,  and  little 
dreaming  how  near  the  other  two  were  to  my  heart.  I  never 
can  tell  you,  dear  Ad^le,  of  all  that  I  sufiFered  during  those  first 
few  days.  Count  Styrum's  exertions  in  bringing  his  charge 
to  this  place  had  been  superhuman  ;  his  own  wound,  not 
serious  at  first,  had  been  greatly  aggravated,  and  for  a  time 
he  was  utterly  prostrated.  But  now  the  dreadful  days  are 
all  past  when  the  angel  of  death  lingered  beside  the  two  so 
near  to  me,  Arno  and  Kurt.  As  soon  as  your  Karl  recovered 
from  the  disastrous  effects  of  his  journey  he  joined  me  in  care 
of  them,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  consolation  of  his  pres- 
ence and  his  words.  When  I  gave  up  all  hope  of  Amo'a 
recovery.  Count  Styrum  was  always  ready  to  tell  me  how,  in 
'&Q,  he  had  recovered  from  a  worse  wound,  and  to  bid  me 
rely  upon  his  vigorous  constitution.  And  during  the  long 
hours  when  together  we  watched  beside  Arno's  or  Kurt's 
couch.  Count  Styrum  recounted  to  me  the  terrible  events  of 
which  he  was  an  eye-witness  at  Assais.  From  him  I  learned 
the  fate  of  my  unhappy  husband, — ^that  death  had  dissolved 
the  tie  that  bound  me  to  him. 

"  It  would  be  hypocrisy,  dearest  Ad^le,  to  attempt  to  con- 
ceal from  you  that  this  knowledge  brought  with  it  a  sense  of 
relief  to  which  I  had  long  been  an  utter  stranger,  and  that 
I  breathed  still  more  freely  when  I  learned  that  I  need  no 
longer  dread  the  persecutions  of  Count  Repuin,  who  also 
fell  fighting  at  Assais.  As  to  Herr  von  Sorr,  I  forgive  his 
sins  against  me,  and  when  I  think  of  him  in  future  I  will 
recall  the  time  when  he  certainly  did  not  inspire  me  with 
terror." 

"  December  26. 

"  Amo  is  making  rapid  strides  towards  recovery.  To-day 
he  was  able  to  sit  up  for  an  hour;  his  voice  i^  clear  and 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  349 

strong,  and  when  he  looks  at  me  his  eyes  sparkle,  as  they 
did  once  at  Castle  Hohenwald." 

"  December  30. 

0 

"  You  see,  dear,  I  write  oftener.  Kurt  is  nearly  well ; 
he  took  a  walk  in  the  garden  yesterday,  and  the  doctor  says 
he  will  be  able  to  return  to  his  regiment  in  two  weeks,  when 
your  betrothed  also  leaves  us.  I  am  glad  to  know  them  so 
far  recovered,  and  yet  how  we  shall  miss  them  ! 

"  Arno  will  chafe  at  being  obliged  to  take  no  share  in  the 
glorious  termination  of  the  war,  but  he  must  submit;  the 
doctor  says  he  cannot  possibly  be  fit  for  service  for  some 
months  yet.  I  will  confess  to  you,  dear  Ad^le,  that  when  the 
old  doctor  uttered  this  verdict  I  could  have  kissed  him. 
Arno  had  been  so  much  pleased  at  his  increasing  strength 
that  he  had  entertained  hopes  of  leaving  Kaltenbom  with  your 
Karl  and  Kurt,  and  of  course  he  was  disappointed  at  first. 
Then  he  looked  at  me ;  I  suppose  my  joy  was  evident  in  my 
face,  for  his  brow  cleared  instantly,  and  he  said  no  more  about 
leaving." 

"  Kaltekborn,  January  15,  1871. 

"  Ad^le,  my  darling  AdMe,  I  am  the  happiest  woman  in 
the  world  1  I  am  betrothed  !  Ah,  how  fair  life  is  !  You  must 
hear  all  about  it,  although  no  one  else  is  to  know  of  it  for 
some  time  to  come.  Listen,  I  will  tell  you  all.  Early  this 
afternoon  I  was  seated  in  my  little  drawing-room  at  my  writ- 
ing-table, when  I  heard  the  door  open  behind  me  and  some 
one  say,  '  Excuse  me,  madame,  I  would  not  intrude.  Modesty 
is  a  gift  of  nature ;  I  do  not  boast,  but  I  possess  it ' 

"  Of  course  there  was  no  need  to  turn  round  to  recognize 
the  good  Assessor  von  Hahn,  my  former  admirer.  Yes,  there 
he  was,  and  the  oddest  figure  imaginable.  Had  not  the  red 
cross  on  his  left  arm  informed  me  in  what  capacity  he  had 
come  to  the  Rhine,  I  should  have  supposed  him  dressed  aa 


350  '  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

a  brigand  for  a  masquerade ;  his  costume,  with  a  huge  sabre 
dragging  at  his  heels,  was  so  comical. 

"  I  could  not  but  smile  as  I  welcomed  him  to  Kaltenborn, 
and  told  him  how  glad  I  was  to  see  by  his  red  cross  to  what 
service  he  had  devoted  himself. 

"  '  Yes,  madame,'  he  said,  twisting  his  moustache  after  his 
old  familiar  fashion, '  I  serve  the  fatherland  ;  this  very  evening 
I  must  take  up  my  journey  to  France  ;  duty  demands  it,  and 
I  am  a  slave  to  duty  ;  I  do  not  boast,  but  1  am  so.  I  have 
stolen  a  moment  on  the  way  to  assure  you  of  my  devotion  to 
you,  and  to  bring  you  some  news  which  will,  I  am  sure,  surprise 
you.  I  have  the  honour  of  being  in  charge  of  supplies  for  some 
of  our  hospitals  in  France.  Early  this  morning,  as  my  train 
was  about  to  leave  the  station  at  Minden,  as  I  stood  upon  the 
platform,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  an  old  gentleman  who 
was  berating  a  railway  ofl&cial  in  no  measured  terms.  The 
of&cial  had  just  informed  him  that  this  was  a  train  bearing 
supplies,  and  that  no  places  could  be  procured  on  it  for  pas- 
sengers, and  the  old  man's  anger  found  vent  in  a  good  round 
oath  ;  he  was  ready  to  pay  any  price  for  places,  and  have  them 
he  must  and  would.  He  was  supported  on  the  arm  of  an  old 
servant  in  livery,  and  beside  him  stood  a  young  girl.  I  could 
not  see  her  face,  but  her  figure  was  charming.  I  passed 
around  her  and  recognized — but  surely,  madame,  you  have 
guessed  whom  I  recognized ' 

"  I  tried  in  vain  to  solve  the  riddle,  mentioning  the  names 
of  several  ladies  known  to  each  of  us,  but  in  vain. 

"  '  Wrong,  madame ;  I  am  sure  your  astonishment  will 
equal  mine  when  I  tell  you  that  I  recognized  in  the  young 
lady  with  the  charming  figure  my  lovely  cousin,  Celia  von 
Hohenwald.' 

"  My  astonishment  was  indeed  great ;  the  Assessor  was  de- 
lighted. '  Yes,  Celia  von  Hohenwald  ;  she  was  with  her  father, 
uiy  respected  relative,  the  Freiherr  von  Hohenwald.     Fortu- 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  351 

nately,  I  met  them  npon  the  railway  platform  at  Minden,  and 
was  able  to  be  of  service  to  them.' 

"  '  The  Freiherr  von  Hohenwald!'  I  exclaimed,  now  amazed 
indeed.  I  could  hardly  believe  that  my  dear  old  friend  had 
left  his  forest  castle,  where  he  had  so  long  been  confined  to 
his  rolling-chair,  but  the  Assessor  eagerly  went  on  to  explain 
it  all  to  me. 

"  The  Freiherr 's  health  had  improved  wonderfully  during 
the  past  summer,  as  I  knew  from  Celia's  letters,  but  she  had 
not  told  me  that  he  had  for  some  time  been  able  to  walk  in 
his  beloved  garden  supported  by  old  Franz,  and  she  herself 
had  never  dreamed  that  he  would  think  of  undertaking  a 
journey.  He  had  heard  first  from  Count  Schlichting  and 
then  from  Kurt,  as  he  told  the  Assessor,  of  his  son's  wound, 
and  had  determined  not  to  await  his  recovery,  but  to  go 
himself  to  Kaltenbom,  that  he  might  be  near  him.  So,  ac- 
companied by  Celia  and  old  Franz,  he  had  set  out,  and  felt 
better  and  stronger  than  he  had  done  for  years.  His  desire 
to  see  his  son  again  was  intense,  and  hence  his  angry  out- 
break when  told  that  he  could  not  leave  Minden  by  this 
train.  The  Assessor  instantly  offered  both  Celia  and  himself 
seats  in  his  own  coup^,  while  old  Franz  was  accommodated 
in  a  freight-wagon.  The  good  little  man  fairly  glowed  with 
enthusiasm  as  he  described  his  delightful  journey  and  the 
charms  of  his  fair  cousin,  to  whom  he  has  evidently  lost  his 
too  susceptible  heart. 

"  Arrived  at  S ,  the  Assessor  instantly  came  by  extra 

post  to  Kaltenbom  to  announce  the  arrival  of  the  Baron  and 
his  daughter,  that  Arno  might  be  prepared  to  meet  them. 
They  were,  the  Assessor  concluded,  awaiting  his  return  at 
S ,  whither  he  was  to  carry  intelligence  of  Amo's  con- 
dition and  my  father's  permission  to  visit  Kaltenbom. 

"  You  may  imagine,  dear,  how  happy  the  good  Assessor's 
news  made  me.     To  think  of  seeing  once  more  my  dear  old 


352  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

Friend  and  Celia !  My  heart  beat  quickly  as  I  went  with 
the  Assessor  to  Arno's  room,  wheje  the  little  man  contrived 
with  great  tact  to  announce  to  hina  the  arrival  of  such  dear 
friends. 

"  My  father  was  out  walking,  but  I  sent  in  his  name  a 
cordial  invitation  to  the  Freiherr,  and  the  Assessor  took  leave 
of  all  of  us  in  a  state  of  the  most  amiable  self-complacency. 

"  After  his  departure  I  had  too  much  to  do  in  preparing 
for  the  reception  of  my  dear  guests  to  leave  time  for  reflection. 
I  had  just  finished  arranging  flowers  in  their  rooms  when  their 
carriage  stopped  at  the  hall-door.  I  really  do  not  know  how 
I  got  down-stairs,  but  I  found  mystlf  at  the  carriage-door.  I 
felt  Celia's  ardent  kisses,  and  the  next  instant  I  was  in  the 
carriage  and  in  the  Freiherr's  arms.  He  kissed  my  forehead 
tenderly,  and  then,  clasping  both  my  hands  in  his,  held  me 
ofi"  from  him  with  a  smile  of  perfect  content  on  his  dear  old 
face.  '  You  never  thought,  my  dear  child,'  he  said,  '  that 
your  old  adorer  would  leave  his  rolling-chair  and  come  to  look 
for  you.  I  could  not  help  it ;  a  longing  for  the  sight  of  you 
and  anxiety  for  my  boy  have  brought  me  here.  No,  not 
anxiety,  for  even  when  the  Poseneck  fellow  wrote  me  word 
that  he  was  very  ill  I  knew  that  my  dear  child's  tender  nursing 
would  preserve  him  to  me ;  and  so  it  was.  I  owe  my  Arno's 
fife  to  you.' 

"  I  would  have  disclaimed  his  praise,  but  he  would  not  let 
me  speak.  '  I  know  better  about  it  than  you  do,  child ;  his 
ieart  needed  healing,  and  I  knew  his  body  would  follow  suit. 
You  alone  could  be  his  true  physician.  But  never  blush  about 
it ;  postpone  that,  dear  child,  until  you  and  I  have  had  a 
private  talk  together.  Thunder  and  lightning !  The  will-o'- 
the-wisp  has  rushed  directly  into  the  Poseneck  fellow's  anus  I 
Here's  a  pretty  business !' 

"  The  tone  in  which  this  outburst  was  uttered  was  fax  from 
grim,  and  the  words  themselves  were  contradicted  by  the 


\  ?;''*iT*!'?r*v»^'7f"s^' -  -i'-i'>:"-'*"-V  ■ 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  35^ 

sparkle  in  the  old  man's  eyes  as  lie  looked  out  of  the  car- 
riage. Kurt  stood  in  the  doorway  with  Celia  clinging  to 
him.  Clasped  in  each  other's  arms,  for  the  moment  t^e 
world  about  the  happy  pair  was  forgotten ;  the  Freiherr's  ex- 
clamation recalled  Kurt  to  a  sense  of  the  present.  He  would 
have  hurried  out  to  the  carriage,  but  Celia  only  clasped  him 
the  closer,  crying,  amid  tears  and  laughter,  '  No,  no,  Kurt,  my 
dearest,  I  have  you  now,  and  you  shall  not  go ;  papa  is  not  so 
angry  as  he  pretends.  Look  how  glad  he  is  that  we  are  all 
happy  together  at  last !' 

" '  Let  go  the  Poseneck  fellow,  you  romp !'  the  Freiherr 
called  from  the  carriage.  '  Let  him  come  here,  I  want  to  look 
at  him.' 

"  Kurt  sprang  forward  to  offer  his  arm  ;•  before  the  Baron 
took  it,  howeyer,  he  scanned  the  young  man  with  keen 
scrutiny.  The  result  of  it  must  have  been  satisfactory, 
for  he  nodded  complacently  at  Kurt,  and  then,  with  his 
help  and  with  Frani's  support,  descended  heavily  from  the 
carriage. 

"  When  I  handed  him  his  crutch-handled  cane  from  the 
carriage,  he  let  go  of  Kurt's  arm.  '  You  would,  of  course, 
rather  conduct  the  will-o'-the-wisp  than  the  old  father,'  he 
said  to  Kurt,  with  a  laugh.  '  Give  your  arm  to  your  Celia, 
then,  for  she  is  yours ;  I  can't  prevent  that  My  child  here 
will  take  me  to  Amo,'  he  added,  nodding  towards  me. 

"  I  was  by  his  side  in  a  moment ;  he  put  his  arm  in  mine 
and,  leaning  over  me,  whispered,  *  Will  you  not  promise,  my 
darling,  to  support  your  old  &ther  thus  as  long  he  lives  ?' 

"  I  felt  the  blood  rush  to  my  cheeks.  I  could  not  speak ; 
but  he  needed  no  reply,  as  he  looked  at  me  with  a  happy 
smile. 

"  Thus  we  walked  slowly  through  the  hall,  and  were  received 
at  the  door  of  his  room  by  Amo  himself,  leaning  upon  your 
Karl's  arm,  so  strong  that  he  hardly  needed  its  support 
X  80* 


354  CASTLE  HOHENWALD. 

"  As  the  old  man  embraced  his  darling  son  the  tears  rolled 
down  his  withered  cheeks ;  he  held  him  clasped  in  his  arms 
for  a  moment,  and  then  turning  to  me,  said,  with  profound 
emotion,  '  We  owe  this  happy  moment  to  our  Anna.  She 
has  been  the  guardian  angel  of  those  two,'  pointing  to  Kurt 
and  Celia;  'softening  my  old  heart  until  I  gladly  receive 
Kurt  as  a  son.  She  has  restored  you  to  life,  Amo.  The 
dark  cloud  that  divided  you  has  vanished,  serene  skies  smile 
above  your  future.  Have  you  nothing  to  ask  at  her  hands, 
Amo?' 

"  What  Amo  replied  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  felt  his  arm 
about  me,  his  lips  upon  mine,  and  heard  the  ecstasy  in  his 
whispered  words,  '  Mine, — ^mine  for  all  et«mity  I' 

"  This  was  our  betrothal.  My  dearest  father  joyfiiUy  gave 
us  his  blessing,  and  Kurt  and  Celia,  Amo  and  I  have  just 
passed  the  happiest  evening  of  our  lives,  in  the  circle  of  those 
dearest  to  us,  where  only  you,  my  own  faithftil  Ad61e,  were 
wanting.  Count  Styrum  recounted  to  the  Freiherr  his  ad- 
ventures in  the  castle  of  Assais,  and  the  old  Baron  told  in 
his  turn  of  how  the  danger  that  had  threatened  the  Finanz- 
rath  had  fortunately  been  averted  by  the  kind  interference  of 
influential  friends.  Upon  Werner's  promise,  made  in  writing, 
never  to  return  to  Germany,  the  warrants  out  against  him  on 
a  charge  of  high  treason  have  been  withdrawn,  and  he  is  living 
in  Vienna  in  great  seclusion.  The  thought  of  Werner,  so 
different  from  his  father,  brother,  and  sister  in  his  whole 
character  and  nature,  disturbed  my  happiness  for  a  moment, 
but  only  for  a  moment.  One  glance  at  Amo  was  enough  to 
dissipate  any  cloud  called  up  in  my  mind  by  the  remembrance 
of  his  unworthy  brother. 

"  Darling  Adele,  my  heart  is  frill.  The  shadows  of  the  past 
lie  behind  me,  the  fiiture  is  brilliant  with  glorious  sunshine. 
Farewell,  my  own  true  friend ;  I  know  how  you  will  rejoice 
with  and  for  your  LuoiB." 


'■Wra^^SVTCT""    JV-.-,   ^         '•'  -^   •—  -    ^-r»  1-  4^    -WkW^I^^*'  r.r^'S?'  -r  -,.v.^' 


CASTLE  HOHENWALD.  356 

Spring  had  again  returned,  and  with  it  the  blessings  of 
peace  to  the  fatherland.  In  the  latter  days  of  May  there  WM 
joy  indeed  at  Castle  Hohenwald,  where  a  doable  marriage 
was  celebrated.  Of  course  Lucie  and  Amo,  Gelia  and  Kurt, 
wese  the  happy  pairs,  and  Count  Styrum,  with  his  charming 
young  wife,  was  present  on  the  auspicious  occasion. 


THB   BKOt. 


-^ 


SIGN  OF  THE  CROSS 

By  WILSON  BARRETT 

Player' s  Edition.     Illustrated.      Cloth,  75  cents. 

A  new  edition,  illustrated  by  scenes  from  the 
play.  There  is  still  a  live  demand  for  this  widely- 
known   novel. 

"No  romance  of  early  Rome  can  equal 
it  in  any  of  the  points  of  its  splendidly  ro- 
mantic conception,  highly  dramatic  fervor, 
or  its  noble  and  ignoble  extremes  of  charac- 
terization. Religion,  history,  literature,  owe 
Wilson  Barrett  a  great  debt  for  his  produc- 
tion of  this  work,  which  is  one  that  one  may 
not  hesitate  to  prophesy  will  endure  so  long 
as  literature  itself  may." — Boston  Courier. 


NEVER-NEVER  LAND 

By  WILSON  BARRETT 
j2mo.      Decorated  Cloth,    $1.50. 

A  dramatic  and  adventurous  love-story  of  to-day, 
told  by  the  author  of  the  famous  * '  Sign  of  the 
Cross." 

The  book  is  full  of  action  and  incident.  Part 
of  the  scene  is  laid  in  America  and  part  in  foreign 
countries. 


■^ 


J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,    PHILADELPHIA 


•«rFWy!Kl^5^; 


AT    THE    MOORINGS 

By    ROSA    N.    CAREY 
i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

Another  book  in  the  series  of  Miss  Carey's  fine 
love-stories  and  pictures  of  English  life  and  character, 
which  are  noted  for  their  sweetness  and  wholesome 
charm. 


ROSABEL 

By      ESTHER      MILLER 
i2mo.    Decorated  cloth,  $1.2^. 

A  love-story  of  English  life  which  is  bringing  the 
author  deserved  praise.  The  plot  is  natural,  and  the 
characters  true  to  life. 


AN  ANGEL  BY  BREVET 

By  HELEN  PITKIN 
i2mo.     Frontispiece.      Cloth,  $1.50 

Miss  Pitkin's  first  book  has  met  with  instant  and 
generous  welcome.  It  is  a  love-story  of  New  Orleans. 
The  picturesque  setting,  the  glimpses  of  the  old  aristo- 
cratic life  there,  the  strange  superstitions  and  rites  of 
voodooism  are  deftly  and  ably  drawn. 


J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT   company,    PHILADELPHIA 


BY  E.  F.  BENSON 


THE     CHALLONERS 

lamo.     Cloth,  $1.50 

"Mr.  Benson's  latest  novel,  •The  Challoners,'  is  probably  the 
best  thing  he  has  done  so  far.  In  '  The  Challoners'  his  happiest 
faculty,  that  of  putting  smart  society  on  paper,  is  shown  to  its  best 
advantage.  He  is  at  home  with  English  people,  and  when  he 
attempts  to  picture  the  heights  and  depths  of  a  father's  despair  when 
he  sees  his  children  taking  what  is  to  him  a  plunge  into  moral 
perdition,  his  work  is  deft  and  true  and  commendably  sincere.  An 
entertaining,  well-written  story,  with  deep  feeling  in  it." — Chicago 
Record- Herald. 

' ' '  The  Challoners'  is  conceived  upon  a  plane  that  lifts  it  immedi- 
ately to  the  highest  rank  in  fiction.  One  has  to  recall  the  works  of 
Dickens,  Thackeray,  and  Reade  to  find  a  production  of  equal  dignity 
and  grasp.  Indeed,  there  is  much  in  it  that  will  bear  comparison 
with  George  Eliot's  performances.  It  is  impossible  to  read  it  without 
realizing  the  great  burden  that  oppresses  the  clergyman  who  sees  his 
son  and  daughter  departing  from  the  practices  and  rules  he  in  his 
sufficiency  has  laid  down  to  govern  them. " — The  Index. 


THE  IMAGE  IN  THE  SAND 

lamo.     Cloth,  $1.50 

•'  The  author  of  •  Dodo'  has  written  a  '  thriller.'  It  is  a  spiritual- 
istic story.  Mr.  Benson  sets  part  of  his  story  in  the  East,  and  part  in 
London,  and  tells  it  in  a  manner  to  keep  the  reader  wide  awake  and 
interested  to  the  end." — Globe,  New  York. 

' '  Spiritualism,  hypnotism,  demoniac  possession,  white  and  black 
magic,  Oriental  theosophy — all  are  found  among  the  component  parts 
of  this  tale.  The  denouement  is  decidedly  original  and  highly  imagi- 
native. Decidedly,  *  The  Image  in  the  Sand'  will  not  fail  to  make  a 
strong  appeal  to  every  one  who  has  any  love  for  the  marvellous  and 
the  unknown — or  who  appreciates  a  very  well-written  story." — 
Brooklyn  Eagle.  ■» 

J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA 


*-«s*;^ 


By  ''The  Duchess." 


The  Coming  of  Chloe. 

i2mo.     Cloth,  ^1.25. 


Lovice. 

i2nio.    Cloth,  $1.35 


The  Three  Graces. 

With  six  full-page  illustrations,     izmo.     Cloth,  $1.33. 


Peter's  Wife. 

Lady  Patty. 

A  Lonely  Maid. 


A  Little  Irish  Girl. 

The  Hoyden. 

An  Unsatisfactory  Lo\«r. 


i2mo.      Paper,  50  cents  ;   cloth,  (i.oo. 


Phyllis. 

Molly  Bawn. 

Air>-  Fairy  Lilian. 

Beauty's  Daughters. 

Faith  and  Unfaith. 

Doris. 

"O  Tender  Dolores." 

A  Maiden  All  Forlorn. 

In  Durance  Vile. 

The  Duchess. 

Marvel. 

Jerry,  and  Other  Stories. 


Mrs.  Geoffrey. 

Portia. 

Loys,  Lord  Berresford,  and 

Other  Stories. 
RossmojTie. 
A  Mental  Struggle. 
Lady  Valworth's  Diamonds. 
Lady  Branksmere. 
A  Modem  Circe. 
The  Honourable  Mrs.  Vereker, 
Under-Currents. 
A  Life's  Remorse. 


A  Point  of  Conscience. 

ismo.     Bound  only  in  cloth,  fi.oo. 


" '  The  Duchess'  has  well  deserved  the  title  of  being:  one  of  the  most  iuci- 
Mting  novelists  of  the  day.  The  stories  written  by  her  are  the  airiest,  lightest, 
and  brightest  imaginable ;  full  of  wit,  spirit,  and  gayety,  yet  containing  touches  of 
the  most  exquisite  pathos.  There  is  something  good  in  all  of  them." — Lond»n 
Academy.  


J.  B.   LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


